Akhilesh targets BJP after nomination of SP Varanasi candidate rejected

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday targeted Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) after his party nominee and former BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi was rejected.

"If the BJP could ask for a vote in the name of nationalism, then why they cannot face a soldier in the elections. If the BJP is so patriotic, then they should have faced a soldier in the polls," said Yadav, while talking to ANI.

He said: "BJP is afraid of contesting against Tej Bahadur because he will ask tough questions. The former BSF jawan will ask what is more important, bullet train or bulletproof jacket."

"The only fault of Tej Bahadur was to question the quality of food and the present government dismissed him from his job because of such a small question. People of Varanasi will not support such kind of behaviour," he said.

The former chief minister also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'pakora' remark, saying, "People supported the BJP in 2014 because they thought that they will get job opportunities. The country will develop faster. However, nothing happened. Sadly the BJP's top leader is doing politics in the name of 'pakora."

On being asked about SP candidate from Varanasi now, Yadav said: "We have Shalini Yadav as the party's candidate but the final decision on this will be taken later.