LUCKNOW: All set to be re-elected as Samajwadi Party chief for another term of five years, Leader of Opposition and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, on Wednesday, claimed that against all the odds, Samajwadi Party had emerged during the last few elections as the only force capable of taking on the might of ruling BJP in the state.
While addressing his party workers on the inaugural day of the two-day 9th national convention of his party in Lucknow on Wednesday, Akhilesh accepted that the last few elections had not been successful for Samajwadis who were removed from power by the BJP in 2017 in UP.
“Though we have not been able to put up a show on expected lines, but in 2022 Assembly elections, we proved that SP is the only party which can challenge the BJP,” said Akhilesh.
Recalling the grand alliance which was stitched between the arch-rivals SP and Mayawati-led BSP in 2019 with a vision to accomplish a big win in Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh accused the ruling BJP of using every trick up its sleeves to gain victory.
"We Samajwadis tried our best by taking a historic decision to shake hands with the BSP, sacrificing a lot to bring Lohia and Ambedkar followers together on one platform and ensure BJP’s defeat in UP in 2019 but the people in power used every trick up their sleeves and misused official machinery because of which we failed to succeed," he said after inaugurating the convention of the party.
He claimed that in 2022 state assembly elections he brought like-minded parties together and cobbled up a bouquet of alliance with smaller parties to defeat the BJP. “Our hard work and strategy bore fruits. Though we failed to get the adequate numbers but our vote percentage increased proving that only SP can defeat the BJP,” said Akhilesh while exhorting his party workers to put their acts together to ensure the ouster of those forces who were dividing the society.
Meanwhile, on the inaugural day of the meeting, the party re-elected Naresh Uttam as state unit chief. The election of Naresh Uttam, the only candidate for the post, was announced by party general secretary Prof Ram Gopal Yadav who was the election officer.
However, there were some murmurs over Uttam’s re-election to the post as a number of party leaders were of the view that others should have also been given a chance. However, the party sources claimed that Naresh Uttam got the benefit of his proximity to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
This is the first national convention of the Samajwadi Party after Akhilesh’s coronation as party chief in 2017. Then calling a special session, Akhilesh Yadav had deposed his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav from the post of party president in a sort of coup and had got himself declared as the new party chief.