Third Front On Cards in 2024 Polls? Akhilesh Yadav Sides With Mamata Banerjee, Distances Himself From Congress

Kolkata: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that his party would maintain an equal distance from both the Congress and the BJP. Akhilesh Yadav said in order to defeat the saffron party, the SP would stand firmly with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. "In Bengal, we are with Mamata didi. Right now, our stand is we want to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress" news agency PTI quoted Yadav as saying while talking to reporters on the sidelines of his party's workers' meet. Earlier, at the workers' meeting, the SP chief praised Banerjee for defeating the BJP in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

"The Samajwadi Party is ready to make any sacrifice to protect our Constitution. If we can defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP can be defeated across the country, " he said.

"यह तैयारी है कि 2024 में उत्तर प्रदेश में समाजवादी पार्टी ज्यादा सीटें कैसे जीते। भाजपा लगातार संविधान और लोकतंत्र पर हमला कर रही है, विपक्ष की आवाज को दबाने का काम कर रही है।"

- माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री अखिलेश यादव जी, कोलकाता pic.twitter.com/4gum81kXQR — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 17, 2023

"Whoever has disrespected the constitution, we will fight them. We will save the constitution at every cost, "news agency ANI quoted the SP Chief as saying.

Akhilesh also took a swipe BJP over its protest Rahul Gandhi's remarks in UK, he said "BJP is bothered about what a Cong leader said overseas, but not about UP CM's comments on Ambedkar." He alleged that Yogi Aditynath also   disrespected the constitution and the safforn party should listen to that. However, the incident Yadav was referring to is still unclear.

Yadav slammed the BJP-led union government for allegedly selling out the country's assets to foreign powers and private players. He also said employment and cost of living have increased under PM Modi's regime.

Taking a dig at the BJP over raids by central agencies on Oppn leaders, Yadav said "Those who avail the `BJP vaccine' are not bothered by CBI, ED or IT."

"याद रखना चाहिए जिस किसी ने भी ED, CBI और इनकम टैक्स का ज्यादा इस्तेमाल किया है उसका सफाया दिल्ली से हुआ है और यह जो अलग परंपरा बन रही है अगर आपके दल में कोई आ जाए उसके लिए ED और CBI कुछ भी नहीं है। विपक्षियों के लिए ED और CBI"

-मा. राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री अखिलेश यादव जी, कोलकाता pic.twitter.com/IMQ7MDtHIn — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 17, 2023

"It should be remembered that anyone who has used ED, CBI and Income Tax more has been eliminated from Delhi and this is becoming a different tradition. If someone switches to BJP, he is clean of ED and CBI. These agencies are only used against opposition," he said.