The grand election for the Lok Sabha is approaching. They say you can make it to the centre only via Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India which holds 80 seats of the lower house. What is UP thinking? Will the saffron brigade get a clean sweep? Will Samajwaad be able to cross the majority mark in the state? What do the people of UP want?

Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav speaks exclusively on all such issues and beyond with the editor-in-chief of News24, Anurradha Prasad at Manthan 2024.

“The BJP is scared of PDA (Pichhde, dalit, alpsankhyak) and that’s why they included the leaders coming from this category in oath-taking. They offered packages to leaders of this class to join them, they need PDA, they’re scared of this group”, said Akhilesh on politicians joining the saffron brigade.

He further said – This is the time for Samvidhan Manthan. There are two types of people, one who want to protect the Constitution, and others who are destroying it. Stressing the paper leak issue, he added that the government itself is involved in it. Govt tried their best to lie down the strikes, be it the farmers’ protest or the students’ strike. Now, as days of scrutiny are near, the ruling party is restless.

Striking on the ruling party, he added – This election is to save the constitution, if you wish to save it, you should remove the BJP. If you talk about nepotism, those who are associated with the BJP have bagged the post of vice-chancellor in various universities of Uttar Pradesh. BJP too is doing the same.

You were announcing candidates in UP and suddenly stopped, what’s cooking in your alliance? 

SP has always been wholeheartedly in an alliance but this time we needed it strongly and we’re working accordingly.

Even Hitler couldn’t keep it for more than 10 years, this time public’s mandate will teach a lesson worth remembering.

If we talk about the reality of this government, no media dares to show it. The hospitals that have been inaugurated by them have merely walls and nothing more but no media shows the truth. It can come to people only when we record it and post it on social media.

Is alliance with bua (Mayawati) possible again?

I’ve been there, done that. It’s not possible this time because the elections are near. BJP comes with a strong strategy, we can’t make plans at the eleventh hour.

Does the Samajwadi Party take credit for maintaining the alliance?

Those who formed the alliance stepped back and left it in the midway. It was us who then worked on negotiations with Congress to strengthen it.

SP distributes seats in its own family ranging from Shivpal Yadav to Dharmendra Yadav, why nepotism?

We haven’t stopped the BJP from giving tickets to their own family. Yogi Adityanath got support from his maternal uncle. The BJP also gives tickets in a similar manner but nobody questions them. The BJP has the biggest family, I don’t want to mention it but they have the biggest pariwar (hinting on the RSS).

Who is contesting from Varanasi? You forwarded a name and took it back. 

We forwarded a name because we had a good candidate and he has a great influence on the people of Banaras, he has worked hard but the Congress wanted to contest from there so we dropped the name from our party.

What is your estimated figure for BJP? They say “Abki baar 400 paar”.

Their slogan should be 400 haar. They want all the leaders in their party, they don’t have leaders actually and it shows that they’re incapable. Otherwise, why are they breaking other parties?

We wanted to make Nitish Kumar our Prime Minister. Now he will retire at the post of chief minister. The BJP was desperate to have him because they knew it would not be possible in Bihar without him. That shows how capable they are on their own.

And all those in my party who want to go are free to go. The public mandate will teach them.

Women feel more protected in this govt, infrastructure has developed and that can’t be denied.

The central government hasn’t contributed anything to the infrastructure of UP. You can’t mention a single project in UP for which the central government has provided any kind of assistance. The UP government itself has done everything. They couldn’t make a proper drainage in Gorakhpur in all these seven years. The Agra metro they inaugurated was actually initiated by our government.

Do you discuss politics at the dinner table? Are there any differences on any topic with Dimple Yadav?

We’ve defined our issues. I’ve to talk on unemployment and Dimple has to see woman empowerment.

Now your children have tried taking an interest in politics and it’s evident on social media…

All those accounts are fake, my children don’t run any such accounts. I’ve lodged multiple FIRs but no strict action has been taken so far. I believe that the BJP leaders are involved in it. Had it been the case for Yogi or Modi, you would have seen quick action.

Jayant Choudhary left you, if leaders from his party wish to join you, will you accept them? 

Now we will completely focus on the upcoming elections. For next time, maybe or… I can’t comment today. Circumstances will answer everything.