No party can match BJP in goondaism, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday that no party can match the Bharatiya Janata Party in goondaism, reacting to the violence that marred the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections.

“I have never used the word ‘gunda’ in my entire political career, but since I have seen the panchayat election footage on TV, and heard from people about it, I can say that no party can match the BJP when it comes to gundagardi (hooliganism),” Yadav said at a press conference on Sunday.

The comments came a day after the BJP won the block pramukh polls, winning 630 out of 825 seats in the elections in which the entire process of nomination and casting of votes was marred by violence and intimidation of candidates, allegedly by BJP workers. Significantly, hitherto the SP had been criticised by the opposition for patronising goons and being associated with hooliganism.


Many instances of alleged intimidation and violence had come to light on Saturday while the casting of votes for the block pramukh elections in UP was underway. In Etawah, stone pelting and firing took place at the Barhpura block and an additional superintendent of police (ASP) was caught on camera narrating over the phone how he was “slapped”. “They brought bombs too – these people from BJP, the MLA and the district president,” ASP Prashant Kumar Prasad was seen saying.