A war of words has ensued between the Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav and the Bharatiya Janata Party on the postponement of the date of polling for by election to nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh.
On Monday evening, the Election Commission announced that voting to the nine seats would take place on November 20, instead of November 13. This is the result of multiple representations made to the Commission as the festival of Kartik Poornima falls on November 15- and many parts of the state celebrate the festival through dips in rivers and fairs.
Yadav took to X to post, ‘Talenge toh aur bhi bura harenge’ (If postponed, will lose even more badly).
He went on to write that the BJP had deliberately pushed the by poll in Milkipur (Faizabad Lok Sabha) and now this. “The BJP was never this weak”, he wrote.
He further reasoned that many migrants had come back to the state on the occasion of Diwali and chhatt pooja. These would vote against the BJP and the party did not want to risk that. “People’s holidays will be over and they will return without casting their vote,” he wrote.
To this, BJP spokesperson, Alok Awasthi responded that the Election Commission had taken into account the religious feelings of Hindus and postponed the polling date. “Akhilesh Yadav ji does not believe in Hindu faith, tradition and culture. Blinded by vote bank and Muslim appeasement…he is opposing it,” Awasthi posted.
He further said that Yadav’s stance was akin to playing with Hindu sentiments, adding that his stance must be “universally condemned”.
Yadav’s contention lacks merit as there had been demands for changing the date of the by polls as devotees start celebrating the festival three days before Kartik Poornima- a day of worship of Lord Brahma. This would especially have impacted the election in Meerpur and Ghaziabad where two prominent fairs are organised every year.