With barely 10 days left for campaigning for the 58 assembly seats of western Uttar Pradesh which are going to polls in the first phase, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has made a bold prediction on Saturday.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Yadav said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not win a single seat in western Uttar Pradesh as the farmers are ready to topple them.
"This 'Lal Topi & Lal Potli' comprising grains will teach them a lesson. Farmers are ready to topple BJP. We urge them to shoo the BJP away from UP. BJP will get 0 (seats)as people of Western UP will set the sun of BJP forever," said the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
"When a wrestler begins to lose, he flaps his hands, legs, sometimes bites, scratches or strangulates...This is what BJP is doing...But they will be thrown out as people of UP will teach them a lesson by giving us a historic win...," he added.
Meanwhile, leaders of major political parties have been devoting maximum time in western UP.
While the Covid protocol has restricted political parties from holding rallies and big meetings, the leaders have wedged a verbal duel through conference and small meetings.
On Saturday, BJP bigwigs including home minister Amit Shah, national president JP Nadda and state leaders were in west UP addressing a series of meetings and press conferences. Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Jayant Choudhury of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) too have been toiling hard in the west UP.
Sensing the damage of the SP-RLD combine in western UP, the BJP have been trying its level best to create confusion among voters regarding the longevity of this alliance. While three days back the BJP had sent an open offer to RLD chief Jayant Choudhury to come with it after election, the union home minister on Saturday spoke on similar lines.
Amit Shah accuses Akhilesh of misleading people:
In Muzaffarnagar, union home minister Amit Shah lambasted SP-RLD alliance and accused Akhilesh Yadav of misleading people of UP. While talking to media, he said that Akhilesh has been talking good of the alliance with Jayant Choudhury but in fact, these two are together till counting is being done. In case the government is formed, Akhilesh would leave Jayant and opt for Azam Khan. Amit Shah said that ticket distribution of SP-RLD alliance has given an indication of what is going to happen in the near future.
Jayant turns down BJP offer, says farmers first:
While BJP has been trying to woo the RLD chief, the former has accused it of destroying agriculture and killing farmers. Jayant said that BJP has been inviting him but in fact it should be extended to families of 700 farmers who were killed in the year long agitation. He said that for the sake of farmers SP and RLD have joined hands and their alliance would emerge victorious.
