Amidst reports of growing differences between him and Shivpal Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Wednesday asked if the BJP wanted to induct his uncle in the party why it was delaying the move.
He also attacked BSP supremo Mayawati for allegedly transferring votes to the BJP in the recently held assembly polls, and said now it is to be seen whether the BJP makes her the president of the country as a quid pro quo.
Speaking to reporters here, the former chief minister also talked about jailed SP MLA Azam Khan and said the party has always been with him.
He also slammed those who are now "presenting themselves as well-wishers" of Khan, asking where they were when the BJP and Congress were registering cases against him.
Distance between the SP chief and Shivpal Singh Yadav, who successfully contested the recent Uttar Pradesh polls on a SP ticket, has been widening since the latter was not invited at a meeting of the newly elected party MLAs held towards the end of March.
Shivpal Yadav felt slighted over the matter and has since been seen to be drifting closer towards the BJP.
Speculations about his crossover to the BJP were triggered after he met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and later started following him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.
When asked the reasons for his "narazgi" (displeasure) with his uncle, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters on Wednesday, "I don't have any 'narazgi', but the BJP should tell why it is happy." "It's good, they should take him soon. If the BJP wants to take the uncle, why is it delaying this? You think yourself. Why BJP people are delaying it…you should think what might be the reason behind it," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters.
On the BSP's supposed vote transfer to the BJP, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The BSP has transferred its votes to the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh polls. Now it will be interesting to see whether the BJP makes Mayawati president in return." Presidential election is expected in July this year.
When asked about several leaders meeting Azam Khan, who is lodged in a Sitapur jail in several cases, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The SP is with him since the day one. Those who are asking questions today should tell where they were when BJP and Congress were lodging cases against him." Akhilesh Yadav's comment on the BSP came as media reports suggested that BSP votes were transferred to the BJP in the February-March assembly polls.
A report sent by the Uttar Pradesh BJP to the party's central leadership on the polls also highlighted the "shift" of the BSP vote to the saffron party which helped it win the elections with a comfortable margin.
During the elections also, Akhilesh Yadav had alleged a "nexus" between the BJP and the BSP as part of a "deal" to appoint Mayawati at a higher constitutional post.
A spokesperson of Azam Khan had recently spoken against Akhilesh Yadav for not meeting the SP founding member in the jail.
Shivpal Yadav and Congress leader and spiritual guru Acharya Pramod Krishnam had visited Khan and expressed support for him.
However, SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra, who claimed himself to be an emissary of Akhilesh, was refused an audience by the MLA, who was elected for the tenth time.
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