UP victory has a 'political message' says Akhilesh

Buoyed by his party's impressive victory in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha by-polls, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said that the results of Gorakhpur and Phulpur LS seats had a ''political message'' and were indicative of what was in store for the 2019 Parliamentary elections.

Akhilesh, while speaking to reporters here, thanked the BSP supremo Mayawati for extending support in the ''important battle'' (LS by-polls).

BSP had supported the SP in the two by-polls.

''The victory has a political message....it is an indication as to what will happen in the next Lok Sabha polls in the country,'' he said.

The SP supremo sought to corner the BJP over the latter's attack on the SP-BSP alliance in the by-polls and said that the people had rejected the politics of hatred and fear.

''Our alliance (Akhilesh-Mayawati) were called saamp-chachunder (snake and shrew mouse).....chor-chor mausere bhai (thieves are brothers) and what not,'' he said apparently referring to the remarks from the BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

''I was called Aurangzeb (son of Mughal emperor Shahjahan),'' he added.

The SP supremo also said that the people were ''angry'' with the BJP and had given vent to their anger in the by-polls.

''BJP has not fulfilled any of the promises it made to the people,'' he said.

He also referred to GST, demonetisation and the encounter spree and said that the people always give a befitting reply to whosoever inflicts pain on them.