Buoyed by the 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 Aadhaar number. We have no problems with ‘one nation, one election’. I ask them (BJP) to implement this from 2019 itself and hold U.P. Assembly polls with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” he said at a press conference at the SP headquarters here.
The SP chief virtually threw down the gauntlet at the BJP after the latter’s defeat in the prestigious Lok Sabha by-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur and its recent drubbing in Kairana and Noorpur bypolls.
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. Mr. Yadav, however, rued, “No suggestion was taken from us on this issue.”
‘Issue-based polls’
Replying to a question related to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Yadav said it will be fought on the basis of issues. Asked about potential alliances, he said, “If they (BJP) have a formula (for winning elections), we too have a formula to checkmate them.” He, however, did not elaborate.
“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 on Wednesday.
About Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand Assembly polls, Mr. Yadav said the SP will contest in those States. “If alliance works out, it’s fine. Otherwise our ‘cycle’ (SP’s election symbol) will run in those States also. I am practising cycling. If a need arises, I can cycle for 50-60 km.”