Akhilesh Yadav confirms to attend Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra after seat-sharing pact
Feb 22, 2024
Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 22 : After ending the deadlock over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday affirmed that he will be attending Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra.
"We will attend the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Soon their (Congress) program will be held in Agra, and I will attend it," SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said in an address to the media.
Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, the first major accord between members of the INDIA bloc.
Further launching an attack on the Centre over the ongoing farmer's protest, Yadav said, "The government who claims to be the fifth largest economy, who claims to be a 'Vishwaguru, they (the BJP) say that its 'Amritkaal', if its Amritkaal then why are the farmers unhappy? Why are they staging a protest at the Delhi border? When they are giving Bharat Ratna to people like Chaudhary Charan Singh, who always stood by the farmers when Swaminathan is getting a Bharat Ratna, then why are the farmers dissatisfied?" the SP Chief said.
The NDA-led BJP government conferred Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh, Narasimha Rao and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan on February 9.
The announcement came days after BJP stalwart LK Advani and two-time Bihar chief minister and socialist icon Karpoori Thakur (posthumously) were conferred with the highest civilian honour.
Hitting out at the BJP and alleging them to be anti-farmer government, SP Chief said, "How multinational companies are putting pressure on the farmers to buy the crops, to get hold of their lands. The government is leaving the farmers up to these companies. The fight for MSP is the right of the farmers, and the government must agree to their demands."
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday confirmed an alliance with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Calling it a harmonious alliance, party chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated the leaders of both parties.
"Congratulations to all and best wishes for a harmonious alliance! - To save the Constitution of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar; - To implement Lohia's principle of numerical sharing; - To bring equality by activating socialist values; - To give 90 per cent PDA their rights and for the progress of the country... let's unite," the Samajwadi Party chief posted on X.
Sharing details of the alliance, party leader Ravidas Mehrotra said that the Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh.