Congress's Responsibility To Take Smaller Parties Together: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the Congress has a "big responsibility" of taking along smaller parties.

When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's decision to go solo in the Lok Sabha elections, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said, "Mamata Banerjee has said to fight (alone) so Congress should persuade her. It is the big responsibility of Congress to take along smaller parties."

The SP, Congress and TMC along with various opposition parties across the country are members of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc.

On the question of the possibility of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, Mr Yadav said, "There are no rumours and we hope that Nitish ji will not join the NDA. He will strengthen the INDIA bloc."

Talking about alliance in Uttar Pradesh, he said that a "very good alliance is being made. The alliance is not of seats, but of victory."

When asked how many seats the Congress will get, he said, "Victory is the part of the seat-sharing strategy." On being asked if he will contest the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj, he said, "The Samajwadi Party will contest from Kannauj and the BJP will be eradicated from here."

Mr Yadav attacked the government on Gyanvapi survey and said that it is doing this because inflation and unemployment are "at their peaks".

"This is a conspiracy to break the fabric of our brotherhood and unity," Yadav said.

Akhilesh Yadav had come to the Fakirpura village in the Tirwa Assembly constituency in Kannauj to hold a Jan Panchayat.

Mr Yadav claimed that only PDA, i.e., Pichhda (backward), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minority) will defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Yadav started the PDA Jan Panchayat Fortnight organised by the party from the village and discussed issues like electricity and roads with the villagers.

He said, "Farmers are feeling cheated, farmers are not getting the right price for their crops, youths are wandering looking for jobs... and bulls are roaming on the roads, killing people. The public is upset with the BJP government."

"The public has made up its mind to be with the PDA, the PDA is the voice of 90 per cent of the population and only the PDA will defeat the NDA in the Lok Sabha elections," the SP chief claimed.

According to a statement issued by the SP, Mr Yadav said, "From today onwards, to strengthen the concept of social justice mentioned in the Constitution created by Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, meetings of Dalits, backward, minority communities and oppressed people will be held in all the Assemblies." Mr Yadav said, "The Samajwadi Party is determined to save democracy and the Constitution through PDA Jan Panchayat against the oppression, exploitation and social injustice of backward classes, Dalits, minorities and women under the BJP government."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)