Lucknow, September 10 (Daily Kiran) : The political atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh is heating up as the 2027 assembly elections approach. Ravidas Mehrotra, a prominent member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that the ruling party will be restricted to under 100 seats. In contrast, he confidently predicts that the SP will win over 300 seats and form the next government.
Mehrotra also discussed the seat-sharing arrangement between the SP and Congress. He emphasized that Congress should only claim seats where it has a strong chance of winning, estimating around 60-65 seats for the party.
Addressing the recent expulsion of Akash Anand from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mehrotra labeled the BSP as the BJP’s “B team.” He alleged that the BSP punishes its leaders for opposing BJP policies, citing Anand’s criticism of the government as the reason for his removal.
The SP leader criticized the BJP government for allegedly denying permission for Akhilesh Yadav‘s rally in Bulandshahr, scheduled for September 11. He described this as an attack on democracy, claiming the government fears Yadav’s outreach across the state. Mehrotra questioned the government’s reasoning, which linked the denial to discontent among the Jat community in western Uttar Pradesh.
On the controversial comments made regarding the inclusion of Muslims in Garba events, Mehrotra stated that barring individuals from participating based on their religion is inappropriate. He advocated for inclusivity during religious festivities, encouraging people of all faiths to join each other’s celebrations.
In response to P. Chidambaram’s “intellectual Naxal” remark, Mehrotra countered that while the BJP speaks of eradicating Naxalism and Maoism, it fails to address terrorism effectively. He pointed out that terrorist incidents continue to occur, highlighting the government’s lack of success in preventing them.
When asked about BJP President Nitin Naveen’s derogatory remarks regarding Rahul Gandhi and the “Vande Mataram” issue, Mehrotra referred to the historical significance of the song during the freedom struggle. He emphasized that while singing the complete song should be voluntary, forcing anyone to sing it is inappropriate, referencing a Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
Regarding BJP’s internal surveys predicting around 160 seats, Mehrotra dismissed these claims, reiterating that the party may not even achieve 100 seats. He cited rising public dissatisfaction over issues such as inflation, unemployment, corruption, and inadequate healthcare as factors that would fuel public outrage leading up to the elections. He firmly believes the SP will secure over 300 seats, paving the way for Akhilesh Yadav to become the Chief Minister with a significant majority.
Discussing the SP-Congress alliance, Mehrotra stated that the final seat distribution will be determined through discussions between SP President Akhilesh Yadav, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He reiterated the importance of adhering to coalition principles, recalling past instances when Congress fielded candidates against SP allies.
He urged that the number of seats for Congress should be based on their current representation and potential for victory, suggesting that around 60-65 seats could be allocated to them.
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