Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday the outcome of the Ghosi assembly by-election, seen as the first poll battle in Uttar Pradesh after the formation of the opposition INDIA bloc, will bring a change in the country's politics.
Yadav was addressing a public meeting organised in support of party candidate Sudhakar Singh here.
"Even if you have to fight, then fight for your right to vote...because the message of the Ghosi bypoll is not only for UP but also for the country," the former chief minister said while wooing voters to support the SP candidate.
Pointing at the support received from constituents of the INDIA alliance, Yadav said that such an election would hardly have been seen in UP, where "all boundaries from caste to religion were broken for the SP candidate".
"The parties which were once against us, today all are supporting the SP. We thank them for supporting the samajwadis. This is an important fight. This will be your (voters) big decision as the bypoll's outcome will bring a change in the politics of the country," he said.
The SP chief said that ever since the 'samajwadis' (socialists) and other opposition parties of the country have united and formed the INDIA alliance, people (of ruling NDA) are worried as to how the bloc was formed.
The BJP-led alliance is also worried about the issue of caste census, he said. "The SP has favoured the conduct of a caste census in the state like in neighbouring Bihar," Yadav said.
The Ghosi assembly bypoll is the first test of the combined opposition strength against the BJP-led NDA in UP.
The SP candidate is supported by the Congress and Left parties while the BSP has not fielded its candidate in the by-election.
The bypoll for the seat will be held on September 5 in which BJP's Dara Singh Chauhan, an SP rebel, is in direct fight with the SP's Singh.
Chauhan, who won 2022 assembly elections from the seat on an SP ticket, defected to the BJP and resigned due to which the bypoll was necessitated.
The counting of votes for the seat will be held on September 8.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also be addressing a rally next month in support of party candidate Chauhan while the BJP has deployed senior ministers, including deputy chief ministers, to garner support for him.
SP leaders Shivpal Singh Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav have been criss-crossing the Ghosi assembly segment to ensure party nominee's victory against the BJP. —PTI
