NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW : In a significant political development in Uttar Pradesh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh met Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Saturday.
The meeting between Singh and Yadav happened amid the Zila Panchayat chairperson polls in 53 districts of the state, where assembly polls are slated in early 2022. Singh, the AAP’s in-charge in UP, said the visit to Yadav’s office was a courtesy call to convey birthday wishes to the former CM, as “I was not here on his birthday on Thursday.”
But he also added that during the meeting, the issue of ongoing Zila Panchayat chairperson polls were also discussed, particularly when in over 20 districts, chairpersons have been elected unopposed. “Such election without any contest clearly establishes that this election has been abducted by the BJP,” Singh said.
The meeting between Singh and Yadav assumed particular significance, as it happened two days after the SP president had announced that while the SP won’t forge alliance with any big party but it is open to fighting the 2022 polls with smaller parties.
While the AAP is the ruling party in Delhi, it’s a much smaller party when compared to the principal opposition SP in Uttar Pradesh. It is no secret that Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal share a good personal rapport and the emerging AAP has made up its mind to contest the UP assembly elections next year.
Singh has been leading the AAP’s offensive against the Adityanath government. He has launched scathing attacks on the BJP on the issue ranging from Kisan movement to Ram Mandir issue.
According to Lucknow-based political journalist Anshuman Shukla, though the AAP isn’t a major force to reckon with in UP, it’s certainly making inroads in UP districts neighbouring Delhi. “If the SP which is already in alliance with RLD, allies with AAP, the three parties backed by the farmers outfit BKU could actually make things difficult in west UP for BJP and BSP,” he opined.