Akhilesh Yadav said there was historic voting in favour of the SP-RLD alliance candidates
Claiming “historic voting” for the SP-RLD candidates, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the people have subdued the “garmi” (haughtiness) of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the first two phases of the UP assembly elections.
Mr Yadav took on Adityanath saying he used to claim ahead of the elections that “khoon ki garmi” (haughtiness, enthusiasm) of the SP and RLD leaders would be subdued after the elections.
"After the first two phases, the people have pacified 'garmi' of those who were talking of curbing others' enthusiasm (garmi nikal denge) after the elections,” Mr Yadav said while addressing an election rally in the Bundelkhand region.
"Now after the third phase, the people of Bundelkhand will make him 'thanda' (cool down)," he said. He addressed rallies in Jhansi, Hamirpur and Mahoba.
"In the first phase, there was historic voting in favour of the SP-RLD alliance candidates. The same is the situation in the second phase. The BJP only betrayed the people of Bundelkhand while the SP is there for them," he said.
Claiming that the BJP is heading toward defeat, Mr Yadav said it was “evident from the changing language” and the “face of Baba CM, who could not sleep amid the imminent defeat".
Accusing the BJP leaders of telling lies to people, Mr Yadav appealed to the voters to vote for the pre-poll SP-RLD alliance candidates without any discrimination on grounds of caste and religion.
While addressing rallies, Mr Yadav promised jobs to youth saying he would start recruitment in government departments soon after forming the government.
He also promised to undertake a caste census in the state within three months of forming the government, saying all the discrimination done by the BJP will be undone by him by providing reservation and “due rights” to the people of all castes.
He said the BJP will never undertake caste census and only make people fight.
"The UP's assembly poll is a big election. If UP is saved, the country will be saved,” he said, accusing the BJP government of ignoring the development of the Bundelkhand region and leaving it lagging.
He repeatedly appealed to the people to vote for the SP-RLD candidates, saying the BJP is “a threat to constitution, democracy and development”.
Asking people where were industries set up in Bundelkhand, Mr Yadav said, “Income has been halved and inflation doubled by the present regime amid the increasing corruption. By giving false advertisements, they are saying that they have given jobs," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)