Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said Akhilesh Yadav is desperate without power.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has hit back at Akhilesh Yadav's advice to him to cross over on pattern of what happened in Bihar and said the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief was "desperate without power".
"Without power, Akhilesh Yadav is desperate. He is like fish without water. The Samajwadi Party has become samaptwadi party," Mr Maurya said.
Akhilesh Yadav had said if Mr Maurya comes with 100 BJP MLAs and takes a leaf out of what happened in Bihar, Samajwadi Party will support him.
In Bihar, JD-U leader Nitish Kumar broke his alliance with BJP last month and joined hands again with RJD to form Mahagathbandhan government.
Slamming Mr Yadav, Uttar Pradesh deputy CM said he was not a supporter of backwards and was making such remarks to stay in the limelight.
"Their 100 MLAs are ready to join the BJP. We don't need to break the party because our government is functioning effectively with an absolute majority," Mr Maurya said.
Mr Maurya also slammed Akhilesh Yadav's remarks during the assembly session. "He does not want any leader from backward classes to move ahead and rule by causing divisions. His desire to come to power will not be fulfilled in the next 25 years," the BJP leader said.
UP BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary also hit out at Mr Yadav, saying he should be concerned with his own MLAs and alliance rather than "offering" the CM post to Mr Maurya.
"Keshavji is a proven, organisationally committed worker dedicated to party ideology. He will always be with BJP. He is not a leader to act in a selfish way. He will control Akhilesh Yadav, what he (Yadav) will control him."
"Akhilesh Yadav should worry about his alliance, his family, his party, and his MLAs as his legislators are in touch with us," Mr Chaudhary added.
During his visit to Barabanki today, Mr Maurya met with district officials and reviewed the development works. He said that Uttar Pradesh is setting new records under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Mr Maurya also met the BJP workers and urged them to work enthusiastically for 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)