SP backs ‘one nation, one poll’ policy

Lucknow: SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday backed the “one nation, one election” formula approved by the UP government and said that he was ready for elections in the state in 2019.

He also challenged the BJP to face the Assembly elections in UP next year.

Mr Yadav, while addressing a press conference here, said that he was ready to face the challenge of early state elections and also called upon his party workers to prepare for the same.

“It is surprising that UP minister Siddhartha Nath Singh, who headed the committee for election reforms, did not bother to consult Opposition parties on this crucial issue,” he pointed out.

It may be recalled that Siddhartha Nath Singh had submitted his report to the chief minister on Tuesday, approving the “one nation, one election” formula.

Mr Akhilesh Yadav alleged that big parties were resorting to expensive election management consultants and were claiming to be fighting elections in a professional manner.

Welcoming the newly elected Kairana Lok Sabha MP Tabassum Hasan and Noorpur MLA Naim-ul-Hasan at the party office, Mr Yadav said their triumph was very significant.

“The Opposition victory in the byelections has sent the message of the urgent need for unity, of communal harmony and of focusing on peoples issues including problems of farmers,” he said.

Replying to a question on UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar’s allegation that the BJP had suffered because Yogi Adityanath was made chief minister, Mr Yadav said, “Why did the minister not raise these issues in his regular meetings with the government?”