BSP and BJP have reached a hidden understanding: SP | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Taking a dig at BSP chief Mayawati for expressing her “gratefulness to the BJP govt” for ensuring upkeep of memorials built under her govt, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the development suggested that the two have reached a ‘hidden understanding’. “Their (BSP – BJP’s) secret pact continues. This is the reason why she is thankful to the BJP govt which has been at the helm as atrocities against Pichrde (Backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (Minorities) continue unabated,” Akhilesh said without naming Mayawati. SP contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BSP. But after the election results were announced, Mayawati dumped SP without citing any convincing reason. Then too, Akhilesh had accused the BSP supremo of walking out of the alliance at the instance of the BJP. He alleged that BSP’s candidates were finalised at the BJP headquarters. Reacting to BSP supremo’s allegations that parks and memorials built during Mayawati govt were not looked after well under the SP regime, Akhilesh said, “A formal govt order was issued to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) to ensure upkeep of the parks and memorials. It was during the SP govt that after the palm trees dried up at these memorials, we got planted new trees which do not dry up even after their leaves wither away,” Akhilesh said, adding that if the memorials were being looked after under the BJP govt, then the sandstone buildings would not have turned black. On BSP supremo’s charge that the SP was a party of “goons and mafias”, Akhilesh said: “This is the language of the BJP. The BJP uses such phrases against us,” he said. ‘Will install Kanshi Ram statue at riverfront’Lucknow: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that if SP forms the govt in 2027 assembly elections, it will install BSP founder Kanshi Ram’s statue at the Gomti Riverfont.“We will not only install a massive statue of Kanshi Ram ji at the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow but will also develop a 500-metre-long park in his honour,” Akhilesh said.He recalled how SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav had helped Kanshi Ram win the 1991 Lok Sabha elections from Etawah. SP names picks for council pollsLucknow: Announcing candidates for Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council polls for the teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies, SP named Lal Bihari Yadav as candidate from Varanasi-Mirzapur seat and Kamlesh from the Gorakhpur-Faizabad constituency for the teachers’ segment. For the MLC (Graduate) seats, the party has named Maan Singh from the Allahabad – Jhansi seat, Ashutosh Sinha from the Varanasi – Mirzapur seat and Kanti Singh from the Lucknow seat. These MLC elections are expected early next year.