PATNA: Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Prasad Yadav on Friday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be removed from power in Bihar in the upcoming assembly elections.
Speaking to the media upon his arrival at Patna airport, Akhilesh said he was in Bihar to participate in the ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra, a campaign aimed at safeguarding citizens' voting rights. He expressed delight at the strong public response the Yatra has received.
“Both Rahul Gandhi (Congress) and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (RJD) have exposed discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) in Bihar. I am here to lend my support,” he said.
When asked about the political scenario in Bihar, Akhilesh remarked, “We drove the BJP out of Awadh. Now, it will be driven out of Magadh (Bihar).”
He sharply criticised the Election Commission, accusing it of acting like a “Jugaad Aayog” for the BJP government. “The people of Bihar will conduct their own SIR of the Election Commission,” he said, alleging that the BJP was attempting to strip citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed voting rights.
“We will defend the Constitution at all costs. The Voter Adhikar Yatra is a movement to protect the fundamental right to vote. No one can dare take this away,” he asserted, adding that the public would deliver a strong message to the BJP in the elections.
Akhilesh also highlighted the issue of migration from Bihar, blaming lack of local employment opportunities. He praised RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for generating jobs during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister in the Grand Alliance government and expressed hope that Tejashwi would help curb migration if given another opportunity.
Lashing out at the BJP, Akhilesh described it as a party that exploits its allies only to discard them once its goals are met.
When asked about abusive language allegedly used against the Prime Minister during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, Akhilesh shifted the focus to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “Have you heard Yogi Adityanath? What kind of language does he use?” he responded.