Lucknow, Jul 28 (IANS): Ahead of the monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly starting on Monday, the Samajwadi Party (SP) called a meeting of its legislators and council members on Sunday.

It is expected that the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav might announce the leader of the Opposition in this meeting. Names like Toofani Saroj, Indrajeet Saroj, Ram Achal Rajbhar, and Sangram Singh Yadav are being considered for the role.

Indrajeet Saroj, upon arriving at the meeting on Sunday, said he is not in the race for the Leader of the Opposition. He stated, "Today is a big meeting, and the assembly session starts tomorrow. Our national president has called all the members of the legislature today. The party and the national president will decide, and we will do things accordingly. I am not in the race for the leader of the Opposition. I am here to strengthen the Samajwadi Party, and will fulfil whatever responsibility is given to me to strengthen the party."

Criticising the BJP government, Sangram Singh Yadav said, "After the Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party is the third largest party in this country. Under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, farmers, labourers, students, youth, traders, and backward classes are against this corrupt and incompetent government. This government has failed to recruit police, provide employment to the youth, and even maintain power plants. The state has been suffering from transformer issues for the past 15-20 days. Yesterday, the government talked about becoming a major economy by 2047 in the NITI Aayog meeting, but NITI Aayog only said that, until the village economy is improved and smart villages are created, the nation cannot be strong. The government is trying to avoid the real issues."

Another SP leader Kamal Akhtar commented on the LoP, saying, "This is a crucial question and an important election. The most senior or highly experienced person is chosen for this position. Whoever the SP chief selects, everyone will follow. Tomorrow in assembly, we will discuss issues like floods in Uttar Pradesh, rampant corruption, and unemployment. We will address the injustices faced by education assistants, the unemployed, and teachers. There is no section that is not facing injustice under this BJP government. We will bring all these issues to the assembly."