Congress wants ‘Samajwadi ideology’ to die: Akhilesh trains weapons with INDIA block partner in MP

Akhilesh Yadav claimed that 90 percent of Bundelkhand’s youth are unemployed and those who do not have agricultural land are forced to migrate for work.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav speaks to the media during his visit to Damoh on Monday. (ANI photo)

Parliamentary elections in Madhya PradeshSamajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday fired a fresh salvo at the Congress, alleging that the party’s INDIA Bloc partner wanted the “Samajwadi (socialist) ideology” to perish, but the SP’s resolve is to to spread it further.

Speaking to reporters after paying obeisance at the Ramraja temple in Orchha of Niwari district in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, Akhilesh said the SP has not forged an alliance with Congress for assembly elections in the state as both parties follow a different ideology.

“We are in politics because our ideology is different from theirs,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

“We were at the conference due to certain circumstances. But Congressmen realized that socialists were not needed. That’s why we were rejected. We socialists cannot destroy our own party,” Yadav told reporters.

“Netaji (former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav) had perpetuated this ideology for which Ram Manohar Lohia fought against Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru). We will not let the socialist ideology end. The Congress wants an end to the Samajwadi ideology. Our determination is to further spread this ideology,” Yadav said, according to news agency PTI.

The SP and Congress are separately fighting the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls after differences arose between the opposition partners of the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing.

Yadav said the people of Madhya Pradesh want a change beyond the Congress and the BJP.

He claimed that 90 percent of the youth in this region (Bundelhand) are unemployed and those who do not have agricultural land are forced to migrate in search of employment.

“Was the twin-engine government formed here (MP) and in Delhi (Centre) to increase unemployment and inflation?” he asked.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced an extension of the free ration scheme for the poor people for the next five years.

Yadav said the BJP has been claiming that people have come from the below poverty line (BPL) category.

“If people have come out of the BPL category, if this has happened, why is free ration being given for five years? This shows the weakness of our economy,” he said.

Yadav said there is room for the SP in Madhya Pradesh.

Elections for the 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17.

(With PTI inputs)