Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday triggered speculation of him stepping down from the post of the Samajwadi Party president.
“The Samajwadi Party will choose its next national president before September 30, and I assure we will also work on our flaws,” said Yadav at a meeting organised for the review of the party’s defeat in the recent assembly elections.
Akhilesh further stated that he and his party have reviewed the drubbing and will also work on it soon.
“My party people and I have reviewed the defeat and the work on resolving issues is underway. Our membership campaign will start from April 15 and take place in Uttar Pradesh, only after that the national president will be elected by September 30,” said Yadav.
Yadav had fought the recently held assembly elections in alliance with the Congress headed by Rahul Gandhi, where they suffered a defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in the politically crucial state with a brute majority.
Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and companion brother Shivpal Yadav were not part of party’s deliberations meet.
Speaking after the meeting, Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at his successor Yogi Adityanath, saying that when he would form the government again in 2022, he would sprinkle ‘ganga jal’ on all the government offices to purify them.
“When we will form the government again in 2022, we will sprinkle ganga jal not only on 5-Kalidas Marg, but also all the government offices (to purify them),” Yadav said evoking laughter from the gathering.
Commenting on Adityanath’s last Lok Sabha speech where he brought up the former chief minister’s age, Akhilesh said that even though he was younger than his successor, he had the upper hand in experience.
“Of course, he is a year older to me, but as far as work is concerned, he is smaller than me. Talking about the incidents, that are happening all over the state like shutting down of illegal slaughter houses, ‘anti-romeo’ squads; I’m waiting for the day when these issues will be highlighted with Yogi’s picture -- the way media used my picture while reporting (such) incidents earlier,” said Yadav.
Akhilesh also emphatically voiced out his opinion on having elections with ballots.
“Demands will be held in Uttar Pradesh and in the Lok Sabha elections, the way elections are held around the world, the ballot will be held in the same way,” said Yadav.
