Bhopal, Sep 28 (IANS): Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday challenged Madhya Pradesh's ruling BJP to give one third of the total tickets to women in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Visiting the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh to kick-start his party’s campaign,the former UP Chief Minister, on the second day of his visit, reached Chhatarpur district of Bundelkhand region, closely connected with Uttar Pradesh. He held a meeting with party workers and reviewed the poll preparations.
During a press conference in Chhatarpur, he targetted the BJP over the recently-passed Women Reservation Bill and challenged the BJP to give 33 per cent tickets to women in Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.
"If the BJP really wants to give reservation to the women, it should give 33 per cent tickets to in Madhya Pradesh and if not do so, then it will be clear that BJP has passed this Bill for its political agenda only and it be considered that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cheated the people this country," Akhilesh Yadav said.
Meanwhile, he also said that his party will contest the Assembly elections in MP with the concept "PDA - (Pichde (backward class), Dalits, and Alpsankhyak (minorities)”. He added that his PDA alliance will try to give 20 per cent tickets to the women in Madhya Pradesh.
Asked about the INDIA bloc, Akhilesh Yadav said alliance's aim is to defeat the BJP in Lok Sabha elections. Asked if the SP will support the Congress in the state, he said: "Congress was short of majority in 2018 and SP was first to support. But, SP will contest elections on its own."
Akhilesh Yadav also said that people of Madhya Pradesh have decided to change the government and this time, the SP will win more seats than previous elections in Madhya Pradesh. Later, Akhilesh along with other party leaders had 'pattal bhoj' at a Dalit's home in Chhatarpur.
On Wednesday, he addressed a poll rally in Sirmour Assembly constituency of Rewa district, bordering Uttar Pradesh, and hit out at the ruling BJP over crimes against Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) people in Madhya Pradesh.
SP has fielded former BJP MLA Laxman Tiwari from Sirmour.
The SP has so far declared its six candidates in two lists and third list of candidates is likely to be released soon, according to a SP leader in Rewa.