BSP trying to check SP with BJP's help: Akhilesh Yadav

Training guns on BJP, Akhilesh challenged Modi for a debate on development at a venue of his choice

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday charged Mayawati with trying to check the Samajwadi Party with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying the Bahujan Samaj Party had transferred its votes to the saffron party in last Lok Sabha polls.

"Actually BSP does not want to fight the BJP. They together want to stop the Samajwadi Party. BSP chief Mayawati has an understanding with the BJP and she can celebrate raksha bandhan once again with them," he said.

Akhilesh, addressing an election meeting for his party nominee Pawan Pandey in Faizabad district, also dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the issue of development.

"My buaji (Mayawati) is now reading long speeches and has also started talking about development (but) when the people had given her the opportunity, all she did was erect massive (statues of) elephants.

"What will you expect from buaji who had transferred all her votes to the BJP last time and the result was that BJP got maximum seats and they formed their government at the Centre," Akhilesh said.

He cautioned people against BSP and said, "You can keep 'cycle' (SP symbol) in a small place, but where will you keep 'elephant' (BSP symbol)? If elephant enters your house, it will crush everything."

Referring to the allegations of leaders who defected to other parties from the BSP, the SP president alleged that Mayawati's party does not give election tickets without money.

"I will not ask how much has to be paid by BSP nominees for getting ticket," he added.

Training guns on the BJP, he challenged Modi for a debate on development at a venue of his choice and said, "If the Prime Minister wants the venue of debate to be banks of Ganga maiyya, which he had promised to clean, or the Gomti, or Lohia village or in your adarsh villages, we are ready."

"If pradhan mantriji does not want in any of these places, he can do so at our Khajanchi's place where there had been an impact of note ban he can debate there," he said, referring to the child who was born in bank queue and was named "Khajanchi" by the bank staff.