LUCKNOW: Just two days after dissolving all frontal organisations of the party, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav kicked off a membership drive here on Tuesday.
Revealing his intent to reach out to people at the grassroots level, Akhilesh said the membership drive would be carried out at tehsils, zones and districts across the state. He added that he would soon reveal the number of new people who join the party.
While interacting with media persons, Akhilesh said those who are perturbed with the BJP government are approaching the SP. In a terse message to ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar, the SP chief said he does not need anyone’s advice. Rajbhar, after the bypoll defeat, had called Akhilesh a “Twitter politician” who does not want to come out of an air-conditioned room. He had even suggested that SP and BSP come together once again for the cause of the poor.
Over the alleged annoyance of another ally, Mahan Dal chief Keshav Dev Maurya, and dejection of Rajbhar, Akhilesh said, “If someone is miffed, we can’t do anything about that. We are working for the expansion of our party, others should think of their outfits.”
While explaining his absence from the bypoll scene, he said his party cadre had given him the confidence that they would win Rampur and Azamgarh hands down so he did not go for campaigning. Akhilesh also targeted the Yogi government’s celebration of the completion of 100 days, and said, “The CM should speak about his achievements of five years and 100 days. Even today this government is cutting the ribbon for the projects completed by the SP government.”
He also took a jibe at UP’s Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak without taking his name, saying, “The officers do not listen to the deputy CM. The recent transfers were done without consulting him.”