Elections have exposed double engine government in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav

LUCKNOW: Expressing gratitude towards the people of the state who opted for Samajwadi Party candidates as their first preference in panchayat polls, SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the abysmal performance of the BJP in Varanasi and Gorakhpur has exposed the “double engine” government.
“BJP has the habit of making promises which they never intend to fulfil. But now people have realised this. The ‘double engine ki sarkar’ (government at the Centre and in UP) has been exposed. BJP candidates have faced defeat in Varanasi and Gorakhpur, the home turf of the prime minister and the chief minister,” he said, adding that by voting in favour of SP and against BJP, people had only voted to save democracy.
He said the verdict in West Bengal assembly polls was clearly against the BJP’s politics of “hate and divide”.
“In UP panchayat elections, people have sent across a message for the 2022 assembly elections in the state,” Yadav said.
Appealing to SP’s winning candidates not to take out any victory procession keeping in mind the pandemic protocols, he said: “Instead, help the people in need. Celebrations can wait for now.”
“The ruling BJP tried its tricks everywhere from Azamgarh to Etawah but the voter did not allow any irregularities and SP emerged as the winner. In Lucknow as well, Samajwadi Party managed to register victory in a big way. Wherever the ruling party tried to use unfair means to win elections, it did not help,” the former UP CM said. He added that while voting, the people had in mind the chunk of migrants and rural populace that was left jobless last year and those hit by Covid-19 infection were left without any medical assistance from the government.
“All that the ruling BJP has done in the past four years is to obstruct development projects started during the Samajwadi Party government. Education of children has been hit hard and the government has no clear plan in place to restore the livelihood of the people or the education of the children,” he said.