Samajwadi Party Archives - Lokmarg

SP-Cong Alliance Will Cost BJP Over 30 Lok Sabha Seats In UP

By LokMarg 8th March 2024

Rajeev Rai, national secretary and spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party, says their party’s alliance with the Congress will shake BJP to its roots in Uttar Pradesh. His views:

The recent and recurring failure of the Yogi Adityanath government to even conduct fair examinations for police recruitments in Uttar Pradesh has exposed the hollowness of their claims of good governance. If we go with the statistics, over three crore families have been affected with this paper leak forcing them to rethink about the competence of the BJP government. The ongoing wide-scale protests are an indication that Yogi government has lost its appeal among the state electorate. This will ultimately reflect in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections undoubtedly.

And then comes a final nail in their taboot (coffin) as the sealing of seat-sharing agreement between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The coming together of SP and Congress has consolidated the minority community that will vote for us strengthening our prospects and increasing our numbers substantially.

In addition, the inconsistent switch of loyalties by leaders like Om Prakash Rajbhar (SBSP) has angered the OBC community and they, along with a majority of voters of other communities, will be opting for candidates with higher moralities, self-respect and dignity. In my opinion, the BJP tally will be reduced by a minimum of 30 seats in the ensuing electoral battle in the state

The biggest election issue today is unemployment among the state youth. And the Uttar Pradesh janata is asking the BJP leaders that if they cannot properly conduct the competitive exams for police recruitment how are they going to solve the larger issue of creating jobs?

ALSO READ: Narendra Modi’s Southern Discomfort

This was not the first exam (ever since the BJP formed the government in UP in 2017) in which question papers were leaked. About nine competitive exams conducted in the past six years have been cancelled or suspended due to paper leak or corruption charges, forcing the youths to wait endlessly for gainful employment. They constantly live in the fear of getting over-age by the time the examinations are rescheduled/held cleanly.

Not only in UP, the BJP should wait for a shocker in neighboring states like Bihar too where the untiring efforts and the commitment of Tejashwi Yadav (RLD) will demolish the tally of the BJP. In addition, the constant inflation, pan-India unemployment are constantly adding to the discomfort of the people and the saffron party is heading to a substantial loss of over 20 seats in MP and over 70 seats in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka.

In addition, the results of the stronghold states of BJP that include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh will also be a shocker and shattering the tall claims of 370 seats for the party and 400-plus seats for the NDA. You cannot win elections by simply painting rosy pictures and selling fake dreams continuously – the voter is now aware and is now fed up with the false promises and claims being made and sold continuously for the past ten years and the country stands united for a positive change.

As told to Rajat Rai

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Give 5% Reservation To Muslims In Maharashtra: Rais Shaikh

By LokMarg 20th February 2024

After the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a the bill to extend 10 per cent reservations to Marathas of the state on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Rais Shaikh said that a 5 per cent reservation must be given to Muslims at the earliest to eradicate the backwardness of the community and to do ‘justice’ with them.

Speaking to ANI, the SP MLA alleged that the Muslim community is being ‘ignored’ by the state government.

“When the Maratha community was given reservation by the previous government, on the same day a notification was brought out and a 5 per cent reservation was given to Muslims. But today, we are seeing that Maratha community is getting justice which we welcome but at the same time, the Muslim community is being ignored. We appeal to the government to go through the notification, when you are doing justice, do justice to everybody,” he said.

He further urged Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to look into the matter and provide reservations to Muslim Community.

“I appeal to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who had promised that no injustice will be done to the minorities to look into this and give justice to the minorities of this state,” he said.

The Congress-NCP government had previously given reservation to Muslims through an ordinance.

Notably, the population of the Muslim community in the state is more than 10 per cent. The Justice Rajinder Sachar Commission (2006) and Justice Ranganath Mishra Committee (2004) proved the economic and educational backwardness of the Muslim community with statistics.

In 2009, the Congress-led government formed the Dr Mehmoodur Rehman Committee that recommended 8 per cent reservation for the Muslim community in education and jobs.

The demand for Muslim reservation comes after the Maharashtra Cabinet led by Eknath Shinde approved the bill, extending reservation to Marathas above the 50 per cent mark in a special session of the state legislature.

The bill for 10 per cent Maratha quota that the Mahayuti government of Eknath Shinde has approved on Tuesday is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government.

This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.

The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.

The reservation has been extended based on a report submitted to the state government by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre.

The state already has a 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in which the Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries, claiming 85 per cent of the reservation.

The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community for which it had undertaken a survey of around 2.5 crore homes within a span of only nine days.

The committee proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that given in 2018 by the then-state government.

In June 2017, the then Devendra Fadnavis government had constituted the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice (retired) MG Gaikwad to study the social, financial and educational status of the Maratha community.

The Commission submitted its report in November 2018, classifying Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class (SEBC).

Meanwhile, members of the OBC Community stage a protest in Beed against Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil over the issue of Maratha reservation on Tuesdsay.

“We are not against Maratha reservation but Manoj Jarange’s demand to take reservation from OBC is wrong. He blackmailed the government to end the political reservation of OBC. The government can give separate reservation to Marathas but OBC reservation should not be given…,” said a member of the OBC Community. (ANI)

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Akhilesh Announces SP’s Alliance With Jayant Chaudhary-Led RLD

By LokMarg 19th January 2024

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday announced the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) alliance with Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The SP supremo tweeted on Friday, “Congratulations to everyone on the Rashtriya Lok Dal-SP alliance. Let us all unite for victory!” Akhilesh Yadav posted on X on Friday.

According to the party sources, RLD will fight in alliance on 7 to 8 seats on most of the seats in Western UP.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress held a seat-sharing meeting with Samajwadi Party leaders in Delhi.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, “…We’ve shared details of each seat with each other…I hope that the alliance happens before the (Bharat Jodo Nyay) Yatra reaches Uttar Pradesh.”

The Congress is holding seat-sharing talks with all its alliance partners before launching the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls.

INDIA or ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near, India’s political landscape is undergoing a significant reshuffling. The emerging INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) consortium is gearing up to challenge the NDA, setting the stage for an electoral showdown.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. The voting was staggered in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha. (ANI)

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Akhilesh Turns Down Jan 22 Invite

By LokMarg 14th January 2024

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday turned down the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, joining the list of Opposition leaders to have snubbed the temple invite.

However, Akhilesh did say that he will visit the temple with his family at a later date.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and a host of Congress bigwigs — national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the party’s Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury–have already turned down the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

The SP chief and the former UP chief minister, on Friday, wrote to Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust entrusted with the construction of the Ram Temple, informing him of his decision to skip the event.

“Thank you for the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple and congratulations on its successful completion,” read the letter written by the SP chief.

“I will surely visit Ayodhya with my family after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony,” he added.

Earlier, on Friday, Akhilesh said that Samajwadis “100 per cent” believe in the tradition of country and Sanatana, adding, “Can anyone ever be invited to God’s abode? We visit temples impulsively, where there is an inner calling and an urge deep down.”

“We Samajwadi’s 100 percent believe in our tradition and Sanatana. Today is the birth anniversary of Vivekananda. He had said that our society teaches tolerance. Those who do not trust the Constitution can never be a Sanatani. We are people who believe in Bhimrao Ambedkar,” he said.

“
Jab Bhagwan bulayenge, Jab Shri Ram bulayenge hum jayenge
… (When God calls, when Shri Ram calls, we will go),” he added.

Earlier this month, Kharge, Sonia and Adhir turned down the invitation to the grand Ram Temple opening on January 22, calling it a ‘BJP-RSS’ event.

The opposition parties of the INDIA bloc have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of “using” the Ram Temple for electoral gains in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier on Friday, Congress leader Pawan Khera queried whether the event would be held under the guidance of the Shankaracharyas of the four peeths–the major shrines in the country.

“There is a system and set of rituals around ‘Pran Pratishtha’. If this event is religious, then why is it not happening under the guidance of the Shankaracharyas of the Four Peeths? All four Shankaracharyas have said clearly that the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ cannot be done in an incomplete temple. So, if this event is not religious, then it has to be political. I cannot accept some leaders of a party serving as middlemen between me and my avowed deity. Some of our politicians are acting like ‘Thekedars’ (contractors). Which ‘Panchang’ did the BJP refer to before finalising the date? The date was chosen keeping the Lok Sabha) elections in mind,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said on Friday.

However, the BJP, on the other hand, has been accusing the grand old party of hurting religious sentiments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to preside over the ‘Pran Pratistha’ and ceremonial opening of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Vedic rituals for the ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people. (ANI)

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SC Gives No Interim Relief To Azam Khan

By LokMarg 11th October 2023

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give any interim relief to Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan in a matter related to the protest case.

A bench of justices MM Sundresh and PK Mishra posted the matter for further hearing after the report on juvenility is filed.

The top court on September 26 has referred to the District Judge, Muradabad for addressing the question relating to the correct date of birth of the petitioner Khan and send a finding to this Court for further consideration in the matter.

The court had noted that the correct date of birth relating to the petitioner is relevant for ultimate consideration of the issues raised and to decide the juvenility.

The court was hearing SP leader Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan plea challenging Allahabad High Court order which rejected his plea seeking stay on his conviction in a matter related to protest case.

Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, who is son of Senior SP leader, has moved the Supreme Court against Allahabad HC order

Recently, Allahabad High Court has refused to stay the conviction of Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan in connection with a 2008 protest case, which led to his disqualification as an MLA from the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The Supreme Court had earlier requested the Allahabad High Court to decide at earliest Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan plea seeking stay of his conviction in a matter related to protest.

Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan claiming that he was was a juvenile as on the date of the incident, has challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated March 17.

Mohd Abdulllah Azam Khan was disqualified from UP Legislative Assembly after he was convicted and sentenced to two-year imprisonment in a 15-year-old case. Abdulla Azam Khan was representing Suar in Rampur district in the Assembly.

Abdullah Azam Khan, and his father, was convicted by a local court in Uttra Pradesh of allegedly using criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a matter pertaining to a dharna on a state highway in January 2008.

Abdullah Azam Khan moved Allahabad High Court against trial court order seeking suspension of his sentence.

In the plea, Abdullah Khan apprised the court that on March 17, High Court of Allahabad after perusing the Application preferred by the Petitioner granted the Respondent State a time period of 3 weeks to file counter affidavit, however, failed to appreciate the fact that if the Application is not decided expeditiously then the same would be rendered infructuous and the Petitioner would suffer irreparable harm.

On February 13, Trial Court convicted Abdullah Azam Khan for offences punishable under Section 353, 341 IPC and 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, and sentenced him to undergo two years of simple imprisonment.

Subsequent to the order of the Trial Court on February 13, 2023 convicting Khan, the Assembly Secretariat, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on February 15 notified that the Constituency Seat of Suar, District Rampur of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has become vacant.

The Petitioner appealed to the Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Rampur against the order of the Trial Court and also filed an application for stay of conviction and sentence. However, the Sessions Court dismissed the said application on February 28. Thereafter, the Petitioner approached the High Court against the order.

The petitioner said that he believes that during the pendency of the Application before the High Court, by-election to the Rampur constituency would be announced.

The petitioner said he is concerned that if such an announcement is made and thereafter, the High Court passes a stay order the same would be rendered moot due to the announcement of the by-elections. (ANI)

Vaghela Meets Akhilesh Amid Efforts At Oppo Unity For 2024 LS Polls

By LokMarg 28th June 2023

Amid efforts at opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who had campaigned for the Congress in the assembly polls in the state last year, met Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday.

Both Samajwadi Party and Vaghela, a former Congress legislative party leader in Gujarat, described it “courtesy meeting”.
“I have come here on a courtesy call…If there is any political talk, information will be shared,” Vaghela told ANI.

Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Uniform Civil Code, Vaghela said, “It is their marketing-nothing else…”

Akhilesh Yadav was part of the mega conclave of opposition parties in Patna last month that was aimed at fostering unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said after the meeting that they will fight the elections together and the discussions will be carried forward in another meeting of opposition parties in July.

There have been suggestions in the opposition camp that the largest and strongest party should lead the battle in a state.

Uttar Pradesh is among the states where opposition parties including the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress have clashing ambitions. Samajwadi Party appears keen to get the support of other national parties in its aim to win maximum Lok Sabha seats from the state.

It remains to be seen how many seats Congress would agree to fight if there is an understanding with Samajwadi Party for the Lok Sabha polls. The state has significance for the national ambitions of Congress while SP is also keen to emerge as a key player.

BSP leader Mayawati had taken a dig at the meeting of opposition parties in Patna and had referred to Uttar Pradesh which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha. She had said that it does not seem from the attitude of opposition parties that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh.

Vaghela’s meeting with Yadav,a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, is being seen as politically significant.

Vaghela had experimented with a third force in Gujarat and formed Rashtriya Janata Party and Jan Vikalp Morcha and Praja Shakti Democratic Party. The octogenarian leader was the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat assembly and resigned from the Congress in 2017. His son had joined the Congress ahead of the last assembly polls in Gujarat. Vaghela had broken away from BJP and became Chief Minister for almost a year in 1996. He also served as a union minister in the Manmohan Singh government. (ANI)

Yogi Thrashes Samajwadi Party Over Ramcharitmanas Row

By LokMarg 25th February 2023

Retorting to the Ramcharitmanas row in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday launched attack on the Samajwadi party saying what would have happened if religious scriptures of other religions and faith were insulted.

Yogi accused the party of attempting to “insult” the Hindu community in India and across the world, and also of manufacturing the controversy during the Global Investors Summit which concluded in Lucknow earlier this month.
“The moment Global Investors Summit was about to begin, the Samajwadi Party started the Ramcharitmanas row about Tulsi Das ji. Some people tried to tear Ramcharitmanas. What would have happened if the same thing would have happened with some other religion? Does it mean whoever wants to insult Hindus, can do it? You want to insult the entire (Hindu) community,” he said during his Address in the ongoing Budget Session.

The Chief Minister read out the lines of the Hindu scripture and explained the meaning of the words.

“Shudra means labour class. Ambedkar ji has also said not to call Dalit community shudra. Your behaviour towards Ambedkar is well known to the world. The names of the organisations under his name were changed. Nari means women. Are you not insulting the Hindus living in India and the world by burning the Ramcharitmanas?” he asked.

Yogi’s remarks came after Samajwadi Party leader Swamy Prasad Maurya’s sparked a major controversy as he demanded the deletion of “insulting comments and sarcasm” targeted at particular castes and sects in Ramcharitmanas, a poem based on the epic Ramayana.

Maurya had claimed that in the Ramcharitmanas, which was composed by Tulsidas, there are words hurting the sentiments of the Dalit community.

On January 30, Maurya has also taken a jibe at Mahant Raju Das by stating that he could have just cursed him instead of spending Rs 21 lakh to get him killed.

Maurya had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an amendment and ban on parts of the epic which he claimed are disrespectful to women and Dalits.

“For revising/banning some of the objectionable parts of some couplets of Ramcharitmanas in which all women, tribals, Dalits and backward people have to be insulted on a daily basis at the social, and religious level and to give respect to the victim class, a letter has been sent to President and Prime Minister,” Maurya had tweeted in Hindi. (ANI)

SC Declines Azam Khan’s Plea Seeking To Transfer Cases Out Of UP

By LokMarg 4th January 2023

Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s plea seeking to transfer certain cases against him from Uttar Pradesh to another state.

The Supreme Court asked Azam Khan to approach the concerned High Court and directed that his petition may be taken up on an expeditious basis.
The SP leader is currently facing nearly 90 cases including a case of hate speech, corruption, and theft.

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Secretariat earlier in October announced the disqualification of Khan from the House after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case.

The case of hate speech was registered against Azam Khan in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Khan was booked for making inflammatory speeches while addressing a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area.

A video of Khan’s statement also surfaced on social media. Khan was released from jail earlier this year after the Supreme Court granted him an interim bail in a cheating case. He spent nearly two years in jail.

He had won the Rampur Sadar Assembly seat in the last UP Assembly polls for a record 10th time.

After becoming an MLA, he resigned from the Lok Sabha. In June this year, BJP’s Ghanshyam Lodhi wrested the Rampur parliamentary seat from the Samajwadi Party, defeating his nearest rival by over 42,000 votes in a bypoll. (ANI)

Credit For Gujarat Victory Goes To State Unit, CR Paatil: Modi

By LokMarg 14th December 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday credited Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the recent Gujarat assembly polls to the party’s state unit and its president CR Paatil.

After the BJP Parliamentary party meeting held this morning, BJP Gujarat president Paatil told ANI, “I am very happy that the Prime Minister give credit to the state unit and every party worker who has worked very hard for the election.”

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi spoke to media persons after today’s meeting held at Parliament Library.

“Prime Minister addressed the meeting, he said the credit for victory in the Gujarat polls should be given to Gujarat state unit and its president CR Patil. Also, he extended congratulations to JP Nadda and BJP workers for the victory. He said it is an example of a party’s organizational strength and how a party can achieve such results. The results achieved on the basis of work done in Gujarat.”

BJP swept the Gujarat Assembly election winning a whopping 156 seats in the 182-member Assembly, which is the highest number of seats any party has won after the formation of the state in the year 1960.

The party’s seventh consecutive Assembly poll win in Gujarat is its biggest since the state was founded in the year 1960.

BJP leader Bhupendra Patel on December 12 took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Gujarat. The oath was administered by Governor Acharya Devvrat at the helipad ground inside the new secretariat complex in Gandhinagar.

The opposition Congress could manage only 17 seats in the recently held elections while Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party had to be content with just 5 seats. Three seats went to Independent candidates while the Samajwadi Party (SP) won a lone seat in the state.

The BJP, which has won its seventh straight election in Gujarat, not only improved its own best record of 127 seats in 2002– the first election with Narendra Modi as Chief Minister — but the Congress’ tally of 149 seats in 1985. (ANI)

Dimple Yadav Takes Oath As Lok Sabha MP

By LokMarg 12th December 2022

Newly elected Samajwadi Party lawmaker Dimple Yadav on Monday took oath as a Member of the Lok Sabha.

She won the Mainpuri parliamentary by-poll in Uttar Pradesh on December 8. This is Dimple Yadav’s second term as a member of parliament in the lower house. She was Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj from May 2012-2019.

The Mainpuri parliamentary seat fell vacant in October following the demise of Samajwadi Party patriarch and Dimple Yadav’s father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The bypoll was held on December 5, and over 56 percent of voting was recorded.

Dimple Yadav defeated Raghuraj Singh Shakya of the BJP by a huge margin of over 2.5 lakh votes. Mainpuri is considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party.

Mulayam Singh Yadav died on October 10 at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram at the age of 82.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav as a joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party lost to Subrata Pathak of BJP by a margin of over 10,000 votes. (ANI)