Striking an emotional chord with the people, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the party belonged to ‘netaji’ (his father Mulayam Singh Yadav) and the youth would carry forward the ‘Samajwadi’ movement for the next 25 years.
Addressing a rally at Kosma crossing in Mainpuri on the penultimate day of campaigning for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, Akhilesh said the people should consider him as their own as Mainpuri was the parliamentary seat of his father and was like a home to him.
“The road to politics is very difficult as no one knows when a ditch will surface. I have no confusion in my mind that this party is mine. I know this party belongs to ‘netaji’,” he said.
In a veiled attack on his uncle Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh said there were people who tried to test him.
“I do not want to say anything to those who put me to test. I had to act according to the situation and then take appropriate decision,” he said.
“Agar hamare saath itne vidhayak na hote to hamara raasta kya hota? Agar mere paas 10 vidhayak aur kuch sanghthan ke log hote to hamari haisiyat aur halat kya hoti? (If I had the support of only 10 MLAs and a few people from the organisation, what would have been my status and situation?),” asked Akhilesh.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for questioning the alliance between the SP and the Congress, Akhilesh said two young leaders had joined hands to stop communal forces in the state.
Speaking about those who were damaging the party from within, Akhilesh said such people might not be there in this constituency but were active in nearby areas.
Akhilesh addressed four public meetings in different areas on Thursday.
SP candidates are heavily relying on Akhilesh’s visits, more so after the cancellation of three rallies of Mulayam that were scheduled for February 13.
Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Swami Prasad Maurya have already addressed public meetings in Mainpuri in support of BJP candidates.
In the 2012 assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party had won all four assembly seats in Mainpuri district.
Source: HindustanTimes