LUCKNOW: Resorting to the AAP poll formula for freebies to voters, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday promised completely free electricity for irrigation to farmers and 300 units of free domestic power on forming the government in Uttar Pradesh after the state's assembly elections.
Yadav made this promise on his Twitter handle while wishing people a happy new year.
"The year 2022 will be a new year with a new light for a new Uttar Pradesh. Three hundred units of electricity for households (domestic consumers) will be given for free and electricity for irrigation will be free," he said in his tweet.
The Samajwadi Party too in a separate statement said party president Akhilesh Yadav while exchanging greetings with the leaders and supporters announced that on coming to power, the SP government would provide 300 units of free domestic electricity and free power for irrigation to farmers.
The SP statement said this promise will also be included in the party's manifesto.
Yadav made the promise a day ahead of the slated visit of AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Lucknow on Sunday.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose government has been claiming to provide up to 200 units of free domestic powers in Delhi, too had made a similar promise for Uttar Pradesh in September 2021.
It had promised 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers, besides a waiver of outstanding bills of 38 lakh families and a round-the-clock power supply.
AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had also announced free electricity for farmers.
The AAP has made similar promises in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa where assembly polls are due this year.
The party statement said Akhilesh Yadav said that after forming the government in UP, due respect will be given to farmers, the poor, youths and businessmen and the principles of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr B R Ambedkar will be taken forward.
"We have with us the legacy of socialist leaders Janeshwar Mishra and Braj Bhushan Tiwari too," he said.
The former UP chief minister said people have been suffering from inflation and unemployment amid a failed demonetisation and GST regime during the present BJP government.
Referring to the seizure of an "unaccounted and uncountable" bundle of currency notes following the recent Income Tax raids at various perfume dealers and manufacturers, including an SP MLC, Akhilesh claimed that all the money belonged to BJP people.