On Thursday, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav asserted that his party will be pivotal in defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.
Yadav claimed that the SP would win its highest-ever number of seats in Madhya Pradesh. "Alongside the INDIA bloc, we aim to unseat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," he stated.
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"We are aligned with the INDIA bloc and are devising a strategy to consolidate the PDA, which includes the backwards, Dalits, and minorities, to defeat the BJP," Yadav elaborated.
"In constituencies where the SP has a strong organisational structure and a likelihood of winning, we will contest with full vigour," he added.
On Wednesday, Yadav had spoken about his party's promising prospects in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh elections, stating that they would secure more seats than in previous polls.
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In an interview with news agency ANI, the SP chief said, "The SP has contested elections in Madhya Pradesh for many years. Our ideology has gradually gained traction in the state. Madhya Pradesh desperately needs a shift towards socialist ideals, especially at a time when issues like unemployment, inflation, and social justice are mounting. We are optimistic about winning more seats than we did last time."
Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP govt in MP
Criticising the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav said, "For nearly 20 years, the BJP has been in power in the state but has failed to provide adequate reservation for backward communities. Despite having BJP governments at both the Central and state levels, the party has deprived tribals, backwards, Dalits, and farmers of their rights."
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"Madhya Pradesh has had the highest number of cases of injustice and atrocities against women in the country for nearly two decades," he claimed.
"Could anyone imagine that in a state where 1.2 crore women are enrolled in the Ladli Behna Yojana, such a horrifying incident with a 12-year-old girl could occur?" Yadav said, referring to the recent Ujjain rape incident.
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Regarding the women's reservation bill, Yadav noted that the timeline for its implementation remains uncertain. "If the BJP is genuinely committed to the bill, it should field 33 per cent female candidates in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections. The lists declared so far by the BJP do not reflect this provision," concluded the SP president.