UP bypolls: Nothing seems to be working for BJP in Karhal, says SP pick Tej Pratap

The only difference will be increase in the margin of votes with which the SP will win the Karhal bypoll. Since the BJP could not find any suitable candidate for the SP bastion, it had to settle for the nominee it has fielded. It was from Karhal that the late Mulayam Singh Yadav began his career as a teacher. Thus, voters here have a special attachment to him and will ensure SP victory by a huge margin.

Is there a threat of division of votes with election becoming Yadav versus Yadav?

Yadavs are those who suffered the most under BJP regime and are all united and prepared under the SP banner to vote against the ruling party. It is not Yadav versus Yadav. In fact, it is a contest between two ideologies which we with PDA (pichhda, Dalit, alpsankhyak) are sure to win.

At a rally in Mainpuri, CM Yogi Adityanath had questioned the SP’s silence over BJP plans to honour public sentiments in Mathura on the issue of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi, saying it was for vote bank politics.

The Samajwadi Party does not believe in religion-based politics, yet the BJP continues mixing religion with politics to divert attention of masses from actual issues of unemployment, farmers problem, inflation etc. Voters have rejected such politics of the BJP by defeating it in Ayodhya (in LS polls) which is just a beginning as major losses for it are in store. Despite remaining in power in UP for last eight years, the BJP does not talk of development and other issues related with masses and resorts to tactics as face saving.

Is the BJP’s slogan ‘batenge to katenge’ making any difference on the ground. What is the SP doing to counter it?

The BJP is aware that people are tired of their rule in the state and at the Centre. It (BJP) has been in power for so long, yet have nothing concrete to claim as its achievements. Thus, it faced adverse results during Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Being aware of ground reality that voters are in mood to uproot it, the ruling party is resorting to such tactics to mislead masses but these are all not going to help them as voters are quite intelligent now.

The BJP keeps blaming the SP for ‘parivarvad’ (dynastic politics) and for dividing the society on caste basis.

The BJP seems to have lost its track. In 2017 election, it began by blaming Yadavs for grabbing all jobs and opportunities but could not give exact figures in its support. It blamed us for ‘parivarvad’ but could not find a suitable candidate to contest bypoll from Karhal and gave ticket to a Yadav. Finding no success, BJP leaders are now trying to make the fight on basis of baseless grounds, including that of sub caste here, but nothing seems to be working for them here in Karhal.

The SP has not lost in Karhal in the last two decades. How sure are you of maintaining the record?

The SP patriarch the late Mulayam Singh Yadav may not be alive now but voters in Karhal still respect him so much that they will not let down his party. The PDA will ensure our victory and Shakya voters, second only to Yadavs here in Karhal, know that the SP fielded more Shakya candidates than Yadavs in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and will thus be strong pillar of the PDA. In fact, the SP is getting votes and support of all castes here and its victory will be historic this time.