SP not afraid of poll under President rule: Mulayam

CHIEF MINISTER Mulayam Singh Yadav said his party was not afraid of facing elections under President’s rule. He pointed out that the Samajwadi Party had emerged as the single largest party in polls held under the BJP regime.

Yadav said this while inaugurating the 13-day Saifai Mahotsava here on Tuesday.

The comment came from Yadav even as a dance troupe showered flowers on him during the festivities.

Pointing at the chief secretary sitting in the front row, the Chief Minister dispelled the belief that his native town, Etawah, topped the chart as regards allocation of development fund. He made it clear that in fact, it was Rae Bareli and Badaun who had been allocated the maximum fund.

Yadav asserted that the state’s development reflected in President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s remark at a conference where he rated Uttar Pradesh’s education and health projects to be the best in the country.

“Our government has opened medical colleges in rural areas—one each in Azamgarh, Etawah, Jalaun and Kannauj,” he said.

He dropped hints that some of his adversaries may join him soon. “A die-hard critic of SP recently met me and said that now he finds it difficult to raise any issue against the state government,” he said. The chief minister stressed that UP’s law and order situation was better than many states.

Brij Ki Holi by Murarilal Sharma’s troupe and Rajasthani folk song-dance show by Kohinoor Langa’s troupe marked the beginning of the festival in a fire-proof pandal.