BJP may face defeat in all 80 seats in UP, says Akhilesh

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the BJP might taste defeat in all 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 General Elections.

"BJP is baar ho sakta hai saari 80 seats haar jaaye (BJP might taste defeat in all 80 seats)," Yadav said.

"The party that claimed to rule for decades -- its leader said that it will be there for (the next) 50 years -- is now counting its days. Its national president should visit two medical colleges in the state and he will understand how many seats they are going to win," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Yadav also asked the BJP, which is holding its state executive meet here, to pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore and a government job to families of custodial death victims.

"The BJP practises discrimination. Will it pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore financial help and a government job to the family of Balwant Singh? It should pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore financial assistance and a government job in custodial death cases to the families concerned," Yadav said.

Singh (27), a businessman, died in police custody in Kanpur on the intervening night of December 12 and 13. His post mortem report revealed that he had about 24 ante-mortem injuries, including on the chest, face, thighs, legs, hands and soles.

Yadav also hit out at the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh government over investments in the state.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged that the Central government has failed in the education front and students cannot read as per a report.

"Modi Govt's Report Card on 'Education' also earns an 'F' for Fail! Students in Std III who can read Std III textbooks declined to 20% in 2022 from 25% in 2014 Students in Std V who can read Std II textbooks declined to 42.8% in 2022 from 50% in 2014," Kharge said in his tweet on Sunday.

Kharge cited a report that says that reading ability of standard 3 children in the rural schools in the country has seen an alarming dip as only 20.5 per cent of children could read a Class 2 textbook.

The report says the ability to read has shown a fall of nearly seven percentage points in 2022 as compared to 2018 in which 27.5 per cent Class 3 children could read a Class 2 textbook.

The reading ability of children has fallen even below the 2012 level when 21.4 per cent of Class 3 students could read Class 2 textbooks.

The 2022 report also mentions a fall in children's ability to do basic mathematics and only 25.9 per cent Class 3 children could do basic arithmetics as compared to 28.2 per cent in 2018.