Cycle to run in Madhya Pradesh as Samajwadi Party preps to contest all 230 seats

Lucknow: Undeterred by failure in its electoral ventures in Gujarat and Karnataka, the Samajwadi Party is all geared up to contest all 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled later this year.

"Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was on a three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh from May 18 during which he made it clear that the party will be contesting polls on all 230 seats. This time 'cycle' (Samajwadi Party's symbol) will roll in Madhya Pradesh," party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said.

Akhilesh Yadav, who toured extensively in the areas bordering Uttar Pradesh - from Bundelkhand to Vindhya region - addressed the public in Sidhi and Satna districts of Vindhya region. He also addressed rallies in Khajuraho in Chhattarpur district of Bundelkhand.

"The Samajwadi Party will help people of Madhya Pradesh get rid of 15 years misrule of BJP. We will try to save people of MP from BJP's conspiracy and fight for them," Akhilesh Yadav said in one of his meetings in the central state.

"Akhileshji has emphasised that development can only take place in an amicable atmosphere. BJP's hate and divisive politics weaken the foundation of democracy and affect development", Chowdhury alleged, adding that Yadav's recent visit got a tremendous response from the people of Madhya Pradesh.

Akhilesh Yadav also claims that the development which UP had witnessed in his regime is still "elusive" in Madhya Pradesh, citing examples of the Agra-Lucknow expressway, metro project, Samajwadi Party pension schemes and a number of welfare schemes launched in his regime.

The Samajwadi Party had contested five of the 182 assembly seats in Gujarat while in the recently held Karnataka polls the party had fielded 24 candidates.

For Madhya Pradesh, Samajwadi Party is also open for an alliance with the Congress, but a decision in this regard will be taken at the right time, Samajwadi Party sources said.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party had struck an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections in 2017. The Congress had contested 105 of the 403 seats while the Samajwadi Party battled it out in 298 seats.

When pointed out that the Samajwadi Party had not opened its account in the last assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chowdhury said the situation this time is different and people are "fed up" with the misrule and want a "change".

"As Madhya Pradesh and UP are close and people of both states frequent each other, they feel the difference when they visit UP. Work done by Samajwadi Party is being appreciated there and they (people of Madhya Pradesh) are looking for our party to contest the election," Chowdhury, who had accompanied Akhilesh Yadav said.