Farmers Movement Archive

Alliance talks with Samajwadi Party in final stages: RLD

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Monday said that its alliance talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP) were in the final stages for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election and the tie-up will be announced soon. The RLD and the Samajwadi Party have been constant companions since the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Since then, they have contested all the assembly and Lok Sabha bypolls together, as also the 2019 Lok Sabha election.“Yes, our alliance talks are in the final stages and soon the alliance will be announced,” said Anil Dubey, RLD national general secretary.He was reacting to media reports quoting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as saying that the SP-RLD alliance was final now and only seat-sharing between the two parties has to be decided.The RLD enjoys support among farmers of western Uttar Pradesh and is on the same page with the SP on the issue of opposing the Centre’s three new farm laws.The Samajwadi Party has already announced an alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and a few smaller parties, including the Mahan Dal.Besides, Samajwadi Party state spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary clarified on Akhilesh Yadav’s statement in an interview to PTI that he would not contest any Uttar Pradesh assembly seat himself.“So far as the matter of the SP national president contesting the 2022 UP assembly election himself is concerned, the Samajwadi Party will take the final decision and it will soon announce the decision. In the Samajwadi Party, the candidates’ selection process is already on. Akhilesh Yadav and the party are shortlisting all the ticket seekers. The scrutiny process is on,” said Chaudhary, a former Uttar Pradesh minister.A PTI interview, earlier in the day, had quoted Akhilesh as saying that he will not contest any UP assembly seat. Akhilesh Yadav has never contested any UP assembly seat himself. He began his electoral career with a victory in the Lok Sabha bypoll in 2000 for the Kannauj seat, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.Even after becoming the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2012, Akhilesh did not contest any UP assembly bypoll. Instead, he entered the state legislature through the legislative council and vacated his Lok Sabha seat. In 2019, Akhilesh became an MP for the fourth time. This time, he was elected from the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat.Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday called upon the people of the state, well-wishers of farmers, the SP and its allies to observe the third of each month as “Lakhimpur Kisan Smriti Diwas”.“This November 3, light Kisan Smriti Deep (light a diya in memory of farmers who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident),” he said.The Lakhimpur Kheri incident happened on October 3 in which eight people, including four farmers and a journalist died.In a tweet in Hindi, the SP chief said: “I make an appeal to all residents of UP, well-wishers of farmers, the Samajwadi Party and its allies that from now on they should observe the 3rd day of each month as Lakhimpur Kisan Smriti Diwas and remind the people of the cruelty of BJP...On this November 3, all should light Kisan Smriti Deep (earthen lamp) and pay respect to farmers.”

Hindustan Times

01-11-2021

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