Samajwadi Party dares BJP to hold UP assembly and Lok Sabha polls together in 2019

LUCKNOW: Buoyed by opposition victory in key Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday dared the BJP government at the Centre to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state in 2019.

"We have no problem if the voters' list is linked with Aadhar number. We have no problems with 'one nation one election'. I ask them (BJP) to implement 'one nation one election' from 2019 itself and hold UP Assembly polls with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he told a press conference at the SP headquarters here.

The 44-year-old SP chief virtually threw down the gauntlet at the BJP after the saffron party's defeat in the prestigious Lok Sabha by-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur and its recent drubbing in Kairana and Phoolpur Assembly bypoll.

While Gorakhpur is the home turf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Phulpur was held by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. Even Kairana was held by a BJP MP, whose death necessitated the bypoll in which his daughter lost to the RLD, whose candidate was supported by all opposition parties.

An Uttar Pradesh panel has recommended simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, echoing a suggestion by the Law Commission of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own view on the issue.
Akhilesh, however, rued, "No suggestion was taken from us on this issue".

A report in this regard was submitted yesterday by UP Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh, who headed the seven-member committee constituted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath."UP is the first state to push PM's idea of national debate on holding all elections up to the panchayat together. We have examined it and it is possible," Singh had said after handing over the report titled, "One nation, one election & common electoral rolls."

Adityanath had later said, "We are forwarding the report to the Centre, and it will be good in the larger public interest. To keep the electoral rolls clean, Aadhaar numbers should be linked with names of voters to eliminate chances of duplication, as suggested by the committee."

Akhilesh earlier welcomed the newly elected Kairana MP Tabassum Hasan (RLD) and SP MLA from Noorpur Naeemul Hasan in the party headquarters. He thanked the people for ensuring their victory in the crucial bypolls.
"Their victory is a strong message against the BJP, which is doing nothing for the welfare of the people," he said.

Replying to a question related to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Akhilesh said it will be fought on the basis of issues.Asked about alliance, he said, "If they (BJP) have a formula (for winning elections), we too have a forumla to checkmate them."He, however, did not elaborate.

Akhilesh had yesterday said there was no decision on seat sharing between his party and the BSP for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and that it would be discussed at an "appropriate time".His remark came amid media reports that Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is demanding 40 out of the total 80 seats in the state for the next year general elections.

"It's not a question as to who is contesting against whom and how many parties are together. The matter pertains to the entire country and how to take it forward," he said today, parrying a direct reply.

About Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand assembly polls, Akhilesh said the SP will contest in those states.

"If alliance works out, it's fine. Otherwise our 'cycle' (SP's election symbom) will run in those states also. I am practising cycling. If a need arises, I can cycle for 50-60 km," he said in a lighter vein.

Terming the BJP governments at both the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh as a failure, Akhilesh said GST and demonitisation have "ruined" traders and affected economy.

"Has corruption been stopped? 'Jan Dhan' accounts opened are being closed. Banks are in the throes of bad days in this regime," he added.