Happenings in SP a vain image-building bid: Kalraj Mishra

Union minister Kalraj Mishra today dubbed the happenings in ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as their "futile bid" to build public image in view of 2017 Assembly polls.
The senior BJP leader expressed hope that BJP will win the elections hands down with a majority, as the people of Uttar Pradesh are fed up with "lawlessness" in the state.
"Organisation of SP is experiencing that it cannot run government. To build confidence in public, it (SP) is making changes in its ministry and the organisation," the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Minister told reporters here.
The turf war in UP turned worse with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav yesterday stripping his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios, hours after the former was removed as party's state unit chief by SP supremo Mulayam Yadav who appointed Shivpal in his son's place.

Two days ago, Akhilesh had relieved two ministers, considered close to Mulayam, from UP cabinet.
"It's a futile exercise aimed at building SP's public image," Mishra, a BJP veteran from Uttar Pradesh, said responding to a query on the goings-on in SP.

However, Mishra added that he would not comment on the internal matter of SP.
"I feel that people of UP are fed up with lawlessness prevailing in state. They are realising that government won't do any good to them.
"Even SP supremo Mulayam Singh had criticised the UP ministers over corruption. He had said that musclemen are growing stronger in UP," the BJP leader said.

On the saffron party's strategy for UP polls, Mishra said BJP was preparing itself right from booth level.
"BJP will win majority in Assembly elections due to Modi government's welfare policies," Mishra said.
He said that "development, lawlessness and social harmony" will be the major issues in the BJP's poll campaign, an indication that the emotive issue of construction of Ram temple may be put on the back-burner.
Asked whether BJP will declare its chief ministerial candidate, Mishra parried the query saying "organisation is supreme."
Responding to a query on whether he is in the race for CM, Mishra evaded a direct reply, saying "Parliamentary Board decides election strategy and other important issues."

Taking a dig at the fiasco at couple of "khaat sabhas" (charpoy meetings) for UP farmers by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Mishra said, "Janta ne khat khadi kar di" (people have outdone Congress)."
At the maiden such meeting in Rudrapur, people had taken away charpoys, leaving the Congress embarrassed.