SP to contest 5 Gujarat seats, support Cong in rest: Akhilesh


Team Udayavani, Oct 23, 2017, 2:36 PM IST

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party will contest five of the 182 assembly seats in Gujarat and support the Congress in the rest, SP president Akhilesh Yadav today said. He said the party did not want a split in the anti-BJP votes and hence would contest only the seats where it has got strong organisational base.

“In Gujarat, we will be contesting five seats where our organisation is strong. We are not going to weaken the fight there (against the BJP). In the rest of the seats, the party will support Congress,” he told reporters here. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party had struck an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections earlier this year. The Congress had contested 105 of the 403 seats while the SP battled it out in 298 seats.

Asked if he would campaign in Gujarat, the SP chief said, “I will campaign where our candidates are in the fray. If any other party approaches me, I can campaign for it.” Asked about the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to religious places, Yadav downplayed it, saying, “I have also visited all religious places during my school tours. During Diwali, I also prayed with my family.”

When asked about the allegations of Narendra Patel, an activist of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, that he was offered Rs 1 crore for joining the BJP, Yadav took a swipe at the saffron party, saying it was the “most honest” party. “How can it do so?”.

He also “advised” the mediapersons not to run the story, “otherwise your channel will be closed”. On the raging Taj Mahal controversy, he said it was the identity of the country and the “Prime Minister had himself said in his speech that there was a need to attract tourism in the country”. “Had our government got NGT (National Green Tribunal) permission, we would have done more beautification work around the Taj,” said Yadav, who was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017.

On the proposed air show on the Agra Expressway tomorrow, he said, “We have got the expressway constructed so that in case of any emergency, planes can land on it. I want to ask the BJP, what is their definition of ‘rashtrawad’ (Nationalism). They say we are not ‘rashtrawadis’ (Nationalists). I want the pictures of the air show to be publicised so that our workers can tell who constructed this (expressway).” The Election Commission has said that Gujarat will go to polls before December 18.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Alphabet gets CCI’s clearance to acquire stake in Flipkart

‘COVID was different’: SC bemoans distribution of free ration

Nagarjuna’s younger son Akhil Akkineni engaged

People getting heartburns after I became CM for second time: Siddaramaiah

Newborn baby kidnapped from Kalaburagi hospital in Karnataka

Gukesh draws with Liren in second game of World Chess Championship

All about ‘One Nation One Subscription’ scheme

Related Articles More

‘COVID was different’: SC bemoans distribution of free ration

Five arrested in connection with botched angioplasty deaths at Gujarat hospital

Deceased Kannur official’s widow moves Kerala HC for CBI probe into his death

Kerala CM accuses Centre of turning ‘blind-eye’ towards Wayanad’s need for help

Construct iconic deep tech building in Amaravati, Andhra CM tells officials

MUST WATCH

Grafting

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing


Latest Additions

Alphabet gets CCI’s clearance to acquire stake in Flipkart

‘COVID was different’: SC bemoans distribution of free ration

Telugu actor Shri Tej booked for alleged cheating, false marriage promise

Five arrested in connection with botched angioplasty deaths at Gujarat hospital

Deceased Kannur official’s widow moves Kerala HC for CBI probe into his death

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.