BJP’s debacle in Ayodhya: Akhilesh and uncle Shivpal blame it on saffron politics
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s excessive push on saffron politics and utter disregard for local issues was the reason behind its loss in Ayodhya and also added that it would have lost more because of its indifference to people’s woes.
Akhilesh Yadav having emerged as the star performer for the INDIA bloc said this while speaking to the press.
When questioned on BJP’s debacle in Ayodhya, Akhilesh took potshots at the party and claimed that several injustices were done to the residents of the holy town, in pursuance of its temple dream. He said that the party could have lost more seats in Uttar Pradesh because of its ignorance of the pain and problems of the people of Uttar Pradesh and dwelling only on the Ram Mandir.
“The people of Ayodhya were subjected to many injustices. Their land and properties were taken away without adequately compensating them. They were withering in pain but no one bothered to listen to them,” he said.
He further claimed that their properties were snatched forcibly for the widening of roads and those who protested against it were slapped with false cases.
“You destroyed the lives of the poor for a sacred thing. This is why, the people of Ayodhya and neighbouring areas voted against you,” he added, taunting the BJP.
Ayodhya, falling under the Faizabad constituency was widely anticipated to side with the BJP after the Ram Temple inauguration in January this year but June 4 results presented startling results with SP registering an easy victory over the BJP.
Akhilesh Yadva’s estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav also didn’t mince words in taking potshots at the BJP over the latter’s ‘unexpected’ loss in Ayodhya.
“People of the holy land have chosen the real devotee of Lord Ram as their representative,” Shivraj said.
He also claimed that if Assembly elections were held in Uttar Pradesh today, it is Akhilesh Yadav-led SP that will rise to power.
Notably, SP candidate Awadesh Prasad defeated BJP’s Lallu Singh, two time MP from the constituency by 54,567 votes in the recently concluded Parliamentary polls.
At the national level, SP emerged as the third largest party by registering victory in 37 Lok Sabha seats. BJP, which scored landslide victories in the state for past two consecutive terms could gather only 33 out of 80 seats.