Mulayam bats for Muslim reservation

In a bid to woo Muslims, Mulayam Singh Yadav today said if voted to power, his party would ensure amendments are made in the constitution for their reservation and said only SP could prevent BJP leader Narendra Modi from becoming the Prime Minister.

Muslamano ne desk ko banaya hai aur musalamano ke liye sanvidhan mein sanshodhan karke arakshan diya jayega (Muslims have made this country, and for Muslims, amendments would be made in the constitution for their reservation)," the SP supremo said at Government Inter-College Grounds in Etah.

While addressing another election rally backing Akshay Yadav, son of SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, he said, "Only SP could prevent Modi from becoming the Prime Minister of the country."

Mulayam said that Modi claims that SP was spying on BJP people but in reality BJP people were themselves informing him about everything.

He also hit out at Modi saying his development claims in Gujarat are all "lies".

Claiming that there was internal split in BJP, Mulayam said that BJP would never be able to touch the figure of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

He exuded confidence that the Third Front would form the next government at the centre and SP would get the highest number seats in Lok Sabha.

Attacking Congress he said that their leaders speak in English, but seek vote in Hindi during poll campaigns.

The veteran SP leader also took a dig at Union Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram stating that he was afraid of contesting polls.

Mulayam, who is contesting from Mainpuri and Azamgarh, was confident that he would be elected from both the seats.

He claimed neither BJP nor Congress would get majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing an election rally in Hathras, Mulayam said it would be decided after the elections as to who would be the Prime Minister in the Third Front government.

The former Defence Minister accused the UPA government of failing to provide adequate facilities to soldiers on the border.

"If the Third Front comes to the power, special attention would be paid to jawans and farmers," the SP supremo said.

With parties in Uttar Pradesh trying to woo Muslim voters, he claimed the Samajwadi Party enjoyed the support of 80 per cent members of the community in the state.

Announcing a slew of sops, he said that interest free loan would be given to farmers besides being provided free water for irrigation, and retirement age of government employees would be extended to 65 years.