Adityanath saved Gorakhpur seat at cost of Varanasi in UP MLC polls: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday of securing the BJP's victory in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers' constituency, allegedly at the cost of the party losing both MLC seats in the Varanasi region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.

After meeting party-backed winners and other candidates who contested the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections at the Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters here, Yadav alleged that Adityanath had prioritised protecting his political stronghold over the BJP's prospects elsewhere.

"The chief minister was moving his chess horse in different directions. The outcome was that he seemed to be saying, 'Let Kashi drown, but our Gorakhpur business must not stop'," Yadav said, alleging that SP candidate Sanjayan Tripathi was "not allowed" to win in the Gorakhpur-Faizabad teachers' constituency.


Tripathi, who recently joined the SP after leaving the BJP and finished third in the constituency, also attended the meeting and sat next to Yadav on the stage. He claimed that the chief minister had worked to ensure his defeat.

Taking a swipe at the BJP over its performance in the Varanasi region, Yadav said, "Those who kept talking about a double engine and multiple engines have been given a double zero by the voters of Varanasi this time."

The SP chief also alleged that the BJP had won six seats through manipulation, while his party's five victories reflected public support. "SP leaders and workers have won with the strength of the people, while the BJP has won its six seats through deceit. Had it not resorted to such tactics, it might not have won even six seats," he said.

The BJP won six of the 11 Legislative Council seats, while the SP secured five, two more seats than in 2020. Polling was held on October 23. The SP won three graduates' constituencies, Allahabad-Jhansi, Lucknow and Varanasi, and two teachers' constituencies, Varanasi and Agra.

Congratulating the winners, Yadav thanked party workers and leaders who campaigned across constituencies and stood by candidates during polling and counting. He particularly praised Man Singh Yadav, who won the Allahabad-Jhansi graduates' constituency with 60,358 votes, and said he had secured a bigger victory margin than in the previous election.

Praising Kanti Singh, the SP chief alleged that she had been denied her victory certificate in an earlier election despite winning. He said her latest victory with 56,905 votes reflected the hard work of party workers and her perseverance. He credited party leaders for backing Akash Agrawal, who won the Agra teachers' constituency with 14,046 votes, and thanked a party functionary who had stepped aside to facilitate his candidature.

Yadav praised Varanasi teachers' constituency winner Lal Bihari Yadav for consistently raising teachers' issues in the Legislative Council, even when the House chairman did not allow him to speak. He also referred to the party's victories in Varanasi graduates' constituency, where Ashutosh Sinha won with 55,046 votes, saying the results reflected support from different social groups.

Claiming that the BJP had suffered a wider setback than the five seats it lost, Yadav said, "They may have lost only five seats, but they have lost in 50 cities and 50 districts." He alleged that the counting process had damaged the BJP's image with voters.

"The result is before everyone. This is just the beginning. With the same hard work and commitment, we will strengthen the PDA's power and work towards establishing social justice," he said.

Invoking B R Ambedkar and the Constitution, Yadav said the party would work to strengthen democracy and ensure that people's voices were not suppressed.

He also invoked former US President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, saying, "'Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth'. Our party workers have fought for democracy and shown it in this election. We will continue this fight and strengthen democracy, save the voice of the people."

He took a swipe at Adityanath, saying, "Now the chief minister will have to think whether he should travel by expressway or book a seat on a train." Yadav dubbed the BJP's poll performance a "flop show".