BSP has tacit understanding with BJP for UP polls: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Charging Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with having "tacit understanding" with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said Mayawati's party has lagged behind in the race to power after all its senior leaders defected to the saffron party with their respective vote bank.

"BSP is levelling allegations against us because of BJP...These people have an understanding with BJP... We have been striving for the welfare of people... None has done so much work earlier," he said.

The chief minister was speaking at a function organsied at his official residence here to inaugurate Noida-Greater Noida bus service.

In a retort to Mayawati's allegation that SP had transferred its votes to BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he alleged that in fact it was BSP which had done it.

"It was to harm SP that BSP got its vote transferred to BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls... There are some people who are ready to even harm themselves in order to damage the prospects of others," he said.

To a question, Akhilesh said, "We have no competition with BSP as it has lagged behind in the race... What has happened to the brothers of its bhaichara committees? All of them have gone to BJP... None has been left behind... All their votes have also gone to BJP but she (Mayawati) is out to mislead people and weaken the socialists in the fight to power."

On his stand on alliance with Congress, Akhilesh said, "My stand is absolutely clear... Maybe she has not been able to understand that on its own SP is set to form government but in case of an alliance, we will win more than 300 (of the 403) seats... We will benefit the most from alliance."

Attacking the Centre, Akhilesh said, "While talking about surgical strike on black money, corruption and fake currency there was no talk of cashless economy... BJP people have been changing their surgical strikes (as per the requirement).

"First it was the surgical strike on the border in which they failed... They will also fail in this new one (note ban)... That is why there is a need to remain alert," he said.

Noting that the situation arising out of demonetisation has given an opportunity to SP, Akhilesh said, "Still there are long queues at banks and ATMs and if this continues till elections, just think which way the votes will go...

Socialists will not get a better opportunity than this one...It is said that sometime you get things because of luck and here we have (development) work with us along with luck."

In an obvious reference to chief ministers of the state avoiding visit to Noida considering it as jinxed, Akhilesh said that after coming to power in 2017 he will definitely go there.

"When we have set so many records we will make another one in this regard," he said laughing.

The 'Noida jinx' came to be called thus after CMs who visited the city lost in the subsequent elections since the 80s.

Akhilesh also termed reports of differences within Samajwadi Party over ticket distribution for the coming elections as wrong. "As far as tickets are concerned, all candidates are our own...you can ask them also," he added.