LS Polls: Akhilesh, Mayawati holds first joint rally

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati holds a rally in Deoband today. This is said to be the first joint rally of the duo since the SP-BSP alliance was announced for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. Both the parties – SP and BSP – are coming together after 26 years to fight against a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

 The bua-bhatija duo are eyeing to challenge the BJP, which won 71 of the 80 seats in the last Lok Sabha elections.

In a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav said that earlier the public was asked to trust a "chaiwala" and now the public was being asked to trust a "chowkidar".

Saying that the PM had referred to the SP-BSP-RLD alliance as a "milawati" alliance, Akhilesh said, this is an alliance for a great change. Speaking about the policies of the BJP government at the Centre, Akhilesh said unemployment had become a serious issue across the country. "They have brought 'bure din' instead of 'achhe din'. There are no jobs, sugarcane dues are pending and the GST tax regime has destroyed small businesses in the state. BJP leaders have divided more people than the British," he said.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati predicted imminent defeat for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election 2019, mainly due to their policies, which she claimed were inspired by hatred.

Drawing a parallel to the Congress, she said that the Congress was out of power because of its wrong policies and that the BJP would lose the upcoming elections because of the wrong policies it was following.

"BJP will go out of power because of their wrong doings and policies. Chowkidari and jumlebaji will not help them to win votes," the BSP chief said.