By Gaurav Arora
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 3 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday made an intriguing remark about his political plans for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, hinting that he could become Chief Minister without contesting the Assembly polls.
During a press conference in Varanasi here, Yadav was asked how many seats the Samajwadi Party would contest in the city and whether he would also enter the electoral fray from there.
Responding to the question, Yadav said, “This journalist does not know that the people of Kashi are very religious and understand everything, including what is auspicious and inauspicious. We become Chief Minister when we do not contest elections. We will do what is auspicious for us. We will take the oath directly from the Lok Sabha.”
On the party’s electoral strategy, Yadav said that the Samajwadi Party would select candidates based on their winning potential. He added that the party knew how to move forward by taking different people and groups along.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Yadav claimed that the ruling party was preparing to deny tickets to around 200 sitting MLAs in the 2027 Assembly elections. He said the BJP had initially planned to drop 100 legislators but was now considering increasing the number to 200 following its defeat in the MLC elections.
He further claimed that ministers from Kashi would be among the first to lose their tickets.
Yadav also referred to the Samajwadi Party’s victories in both the teachers’ and graduates’ MLC constituencies in Kashi, saying that his visit to Varanasi came after the party’s victories. Describing the results as a double blessing from Kashi, he took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the city’s development and its comparison with Kyoto.
“Kashi may not have been turned into Kyoto, but at least a picture of Kyoto could have been put up. Why was even a picture of Kyoto not installed?” he asked.
Referring to the blessings of Baba Vishwanath, Yadav said that Ashutosh Sinha and Lal Bihari had won the elections and described their victories as blessings received twice from the deity.
On the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) controversy, Yadav questioned the BJP’s position, saying that the Samajwadi Party continued to raise concerns about EVMs even after winning all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding Bageshwar Dham’s Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, Yadav questioned the action being taken against those who had made remarks about Lord Krishna and Lord Ram’s father.
Referring to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, he said, “You know the name of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mohan Yadav. He can take a bulldozer from Uttar Pradesh and drive it straight to their ashram.”
Yadav further questioned what action followers of Sanatan Dharma were taking against those making remarks about Hindu deities.
Akhilesh Yadav became Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for the first time on March 15, 2012, when he was a Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj. After assuming office, he resigned from the Lok Sabha and subsequently became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
Earlier, hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ march across the country, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that the BJP is itself “anarchy”, terming the ruling party “one crisis”.
Questioning the BJP’s criticism of opposition marches, Yadav said the Samajwadi Party had consistently advocated paper ballot voting, adding that it would continue to oppose EVMs even if it won all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh through them.
“This is not a march of anarchy. The Bharatiya Janata Party itself is anarchy. And there is only one crisis—BJP. To resolve this crisis: chase away the BJP, remove the BJP. The stance of the Samajwadi Party has always been that we want voting through paper ballots and we want to remove EVMs. Even if the Samajwadi Party were to win all 80 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh via EVMs, we would still oppose EVMs. We believe that voting is constitutional only when cast via paper ballot; if votes are cast through EVMs, it is unconstitutional. Elections are also taking place in the United States—America is the number one nation in the world—tell me, aren’t votes being cast by paper ballot there?” he said. (ANI)
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