Mamata to campaign for SP in upcoming UP polls

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will virtually campaign for the Samajwadi Party in Lucknow on February 8 and later, also at Varanasi, SP national vice-president Kiranmay Nanda said in Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon after meeting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson at her Kalighat residence.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will also take part in these campaigns, said Nanda who met Banerjee with Yadav's message. It was a closed-door meeting that went on for around 30 minutes.

Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases between February 10 and March 10.

After meeting Banerjee, while talking to the press, Nanda said it was decided that TMC will support to Samajwadi Party but won't contest in any seat in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Banerjee will visit Lucknow on February 8 to address a virtual meeting and then take part in a joint press conference with Akhilesh at SP's party office.

She will also visit Varanasi later in February but the date is yet to be fixed, Nanda added. "She will visit Varanasi for a virtual meeting," Nanda said and noted that most of the campaigns are being held virtually due to Covid restrictions.

"Mamata Banerjee is a strong leader and the way she fought against the BJP and defeated it in the West Bengal Assembly Election in 2021 is a lesson for the entire opposition. Her fight was unprecedented. The entire nation saw the fight she had put up against BJP's juggernaut," he said.

Nanda alleged that the SP party office in Lucknow is surrounded by the police round-the-clock. At least 2,500 SP workers have been slapped with false cases.

"Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are scared as people are not turning up in their meetings while Akhilesh's meetings are over-flooded. BJP will be defeated and Akhilesh will be the Chief Minister of UP," Nanda maintained.

During the high-voltage West Bengal Assembly polls, the Samajwadi Party had decided against contesting in the state and extended its support to the ruling TMC.

Akhilesh Yadav shares a very cordial relationship with Mamata Banerjee and had even attended the grand opposition meeting hosted by the TMC supremo in January 2019.