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The father-son duo of Samajwadi Party national general secretary Shivpal Yadav and Aditya Yadav are campaigning in the hinterland of Budaun in a bid to wrest this Lok Sabha seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rohilkhand region that has been a traditional stronghold of the SP.
Shivpal Yadav is knocking on every door in Budaun as his son Aditya looks to make his maiden entry into the Lok Sabha. Samajwadi Party candidate Dharmendra Yadav lost the Budaun seat to the BJP’s Sanghamitra Maurya in the 2019 Lok Sabha election by about 18,454 votes.
Yadav-Muslim voters have a sizable presence in Budaun and are expected to act as “shock absorbers” for the Samajwadi Party to mitigate the loss of other constituents, if any.
Initially, Shivpal, the SP’s Jaswantnagar MLA, was named the party candidate for the Budaun Lok Sabha seat. It was at his instance that Aditya Yadav replaced him.
Shivpal Yadav spoke to Pawan Dixit in Budaun on Saturday morning and looked confident, asserting that the INDIA bloc had the edge in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha election held on April 19 and 26.
He also said: “The Samajwadi Party- Congress alliance will continue in Uttar Pradesh even in the 2027 assembly polls.” Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying that the “jodi (duo)” (Akhilesh Yadav- Rahul Gandhi ) will flop in Uttar Pradesh?
A: Iss bar jodi hit hai. (The Akhilesh Yadav- Rahul Gandhi combo is a hit in Uttar Pradesh this time). This attack on the jodi is out of fear as they know that the INDIA alliance has the edge not only in Uttar Pradesh but also in South India.
Q: Allegations of “pariwarvaad” (dynastic politics) are being levelled at your family by both the PM and chief minister Yogi Adityanath?
A: Those who don’t have a family cannot understand its importance. Any attack on my family helps us to consolidate our position in this election. People know the importance of family. On this issue, voters are with my family.
Q: The Samajwadi Party had an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and with the Congress in the 2017 assembly elections. But both alliances failed. What is the future of the SP-Congress alliance this time?
A: The Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance will continue in Uttar Pradesh even in the 2027 assembly polls. In fact, the INDIA bloc will continue in future also in all assembly polls across the country.
Q: What do you have to say on PM Narendra Modi’s statement on the mangalsutra?
A: It is no ordinary string. Only a married person will know how important mangalsutra is for a woman. Ask Sonia Gandhi about the importance of mangalsutra who lost her husband for the nation.
Q: The BJP campaign is revolving around “ab ki bar 400 par”?
A: The BJP’s game plan was to change the Constitution by securing 400 seats. But people are aware of the BJP’s politics and they do not want a change in the Constitution. The electorate is not voting for the BJP.
Q: What is your party’s stand on the caste census?
A: The Samajwadi Party is in support of the caste census. People should know what exactly the percentage of different castes in the state is.
If the Samajwadi Party comes to power in the state in the 2027 assembly polls, then the caste census will be carried out.
Q: What do you have to say on Mukhtar Ansari’s death ?
A: There is no law and order in the state. How can murders be committed in custody?
(Shivpal was apparently referring to murders of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj while in custody on April 15, 2023. Gangster-turned politician Mukhar Ansari died following a cardiac arrest in Banda on March 28).
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