Lucknow, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that his party will go for alliance with smaller parties for the 2022 Assembly polls, including his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav-led political outfit.

He also demanded that the members of the Shree Ramjanambhoomi Tirath Khetra Trust to step down till the probe into the land purchase scam is completed.

Akhilesh Yadav said that his party won’t forge any alliance with bigger parties like BSP or Congress anymore.

“SP will not forge any alliance with big parties, our leaders believe that small parties should be taken together. SP is already in alliance with RLD, Mahan Dal, and an outfit of Chauhan community headed by Sanjay Chauhan. Both Congress and BSP ties were not profitable for the party hence we will not form any alliance with them,” he said.

“Shivpal Yadav is my chacha (uncle) and Jaswant Nagar seat is already left for him, and if someone is with him who could fight as per political situation we will think about it. Shivpal Ji has his own party and hence it will be an alliance. I have sought blessing from Lalu ji, it will definitely be a boost for us. Neta ji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has health issues, if his health allows then he will also play an active role in the upcoming elections,” he added.

While talking to a private new channel here on Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav also raised the issue of alleged scam in the Shri Ram Janambhumi Trust in Ayodhya and said that people named in the alleged scam should immediately resign and the matter should be investigated.

“All the trust members should resign till the investigation is completed. There is a village named Daharmpur in Ayodhya, farmers of that village had come to me alleging that they were getting less compensation than what was being given to farmers of neighboring villages. Why is the government doing so?” he added.

He, however, expressed confidence of winning the polls next year and thanked the people for supporting his party in the recent panchayat elections in the state where the party performed well in the elections.

“I want to thank the people of UP for the Panchayat elections, the entire administration and police worked against us but still SP supported candidates won in huge numbers. We are going to form the Samajwadi Party government in 2022. The BJP is using money and muscle power to pressurize people in District Panchayat elections,” he said.

The SP chief claimed that many BJP MLAs are unhappy with CM Yogi over the Covid handling in the state. He also spoke on the change of mind over Covid vaccine. Earlier, Akhilesh had referred to it as BJP vaccine.

He added, “When I had said ‘BJP vaccine’ there were trials going on and many experts had also raised questions. The government on the other hand failed to provide free vaccines to its people. I want the poor and needy to get vaccinated first, I will take it at the last. I am not the only one left out, when the entire people of UP will get vaccinated, I will take the vaccine then.”

Speaking on the Covid handling of the state government, Akhilesh Yadav retorted, “The BJP had abandoned people during the pandemic, people were running for oxygen, hospital beds and many died waiting for ambulances. Teachers who were forced on election duty died due to corona, similarly many policemen have also lost their lives.”

He targeted the BJP government in UP for not completing the Purvanchal Expressway even after four-and-a-half years.

“Even after four-and-a-half years have gone by, the BJP government could not complete the Purvanchal Expressway started by the Samajwadi Party government. Had it been built then people from Ghazipur, Ballia, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Amethi, Barabanki would have been connected by road. They called the PM, President and all the big industrialists in the state but the UP has now become the worst performing state instead," Akhilesh said.

(Agencies)