SP won't field those who 'insult and oppress people': Mulayam

SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today said his party won't give tickets to those who "insult and oppress people" in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and questioned the party's preparedness for the upcoming panchayat polls.
"There are long queues of those seeking party's ticket for panchyat elections, but they should improve their image first. There are allegations against several ticket seekers that they are contractors and commission agents... They insult and oppress people. We won't give tickets to them," Yadav told a gathering at an event to mark birth anniversary of former SP MP Janeshwar Mishra.
Senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav would review the candidates' applications for tickets, he said.

"Leaders from whose areas maximum number of village heads have been elected would be preffered," he said.
Yadav said the feedback received paint a bad picture of SP and party leaders should reach out to people to make them aware of the work done by the government.
"Panchyat elections are just around the corner. 36 MLCs will be selected. I don't know what preparations have been made for it," he said.

"As per the feedback from people, a large number of them (SP leaders) will have to face defeat in the 2017 Assembly polls.
"There is some time left, you (ministers and leaders) should come out of air-conditioned rooms and reach out to people and make them aware of the work done by the government," Yadav said.

Citing the drubbing that SP faced in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he said, "I had asked you all to work hard for the Lok Sabha polls, but you have left me nowhere to go. Only five of our family could reach the Lok Sabha."
"I had asked you to hold meetings to review reasons for the defeat and submit a report. I have not received it till now. If you don't introspect, how will we succeed in future?" he asked his partymen.
The panchayat elections would be held between September 9 and December 15.