Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, accusing it of turning into a “rishtedar-wadi” (family-oriented) party. This jibe comes in response to the BJP’s decision to field Anujesh Yadav, who is related to Akhilesh, in the Karhal assembly bypolls.
During an event in Mainpuri’s Dihuli area, Yadav stated, “They used to accuse us of being family-oriented, but now they’ve surpassed us and have become ‘rishtedar-wadi’.” Anujesh Yadav, BJP’s candidate for the by-election, is Akhilesh Yadav’s brother-in-law and the uncle-in-law (‘fufa’) of SP’s candidate Tej Pratap Yadav, making the election a “fufa versus bhatija” (uncle vs. nephew) battle. Karhal, traditionally an SP stronghold since 1993, now sees family members pitted against each other.
Responding to Akhilesh’s remarks, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Social Welfare Asim Arun contended that the bypoll is a “fight of policies, a fight between truth and lies, and one between criminals and those abiding by law.” Arun emphasized changes in law enforcement, claiming that the current administration’s policies have reduced crime in areas like Mainpuri.
The Karhal seat is one of nine assembly constituencies up for a bypoll on November 13. The by-elections, which include seats in Ambedkar Nagar (Katehari), Muzaffarnagar (Meerapur), Ghaziabad, Mirzapur (Majhawan), Kanpur (Sishamau), Aligarh (Khair), Prayagraj (Phulpur), and Moradabad (Kundarki), will have their results declared on November 23. The Karhal seat was vacated by Akhilesh Yadav following his election to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.
