BJP misusing power for UP assembly bypolls, says Akhilesh

Lucknow: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misusing power in the seven assembly constituencies where bye-elections will be held on November 3, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Monday.

"Fearing its defeat, the BJP is engaged in the misuse of power and intimidation of voters. Pressure is being built on gram pradhans. Police are being misused to threaten people. The Election Commission should take cognizance of all this and intervene," Yadav said in a statement.

He also said: "The SP is contesting six seats and its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) the Bulandshahar seat. The BJP is set for a defeat and SP-RLD are headed for big victories. The tactics to mislead the people won't work. The people's verdict in the bypolls would indicate the possible results in the 2022 UP assembly polls," he said.

The SP candidates are getting strong support of the people because of their clean image, Akhilesh Yadav said.

The SP's Syed Javed Abdi is contesting Naugawan Sadat. The other party candidates are: Maharaj Singh Dhangar (Tundla), Indrajeet Kori (Ghatampur), Lucky Yadav (Malhani), Brahmashankar Tiwari (Deoria) and Suresh Kumar Pal (Bangarmau).

Yadav also said that his party is set on returning to power in Uttar Pradesh in the 2022 assembly election and next month's bypolls for seven seats will mark a beginning towards that goal.

"The party's target is the next assembly election and its beginning is being made through the coming by-elections in which SP's performance would be good. The next elections will decide the future of the country's politics," the party chief told newspersons here.

He said his party's efforts would be to connect with the maximum number of people and claimed that the voters of UP are prepared to remove the current state government.

As soon as the voters get a chance, everyone will see how this government is going to be defeated, the former chief minister said while welcoming members of different parties who joined the SP.

Attacking the UP government for its performance on the law and order front, Yadav alleged that it hides the crime figures. There is not just one incident of crime against women but several that are being reported, he said.

The 47-year-old opposition leader also welcomed the Allahabad High Court verdict on cow slaughter and said it would have taken detailed information on it.

The High Court had on Monday raised concerns over misuse of the anti-cow slaughter law in UP to target innocent persons and lack of forensic evidence to prove that the recovered meat is beef.

"Anyone writing the truth faces the wrath and jail. FIRs have also been written against the journalists who had written the truth," he said.