Samajwadi Party National General Secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav, responding to the BJP’s slogan ‘Batoge to Katoge,’ on Sunday asserted that the PDA will neither divide nor weaken. He remarked that anyone promoting such rhetoric would face consequences later.
Without naming BJP candidate Anujesh Yadav—a relative of the Saifai family and a candidate in the Karhal assembly bypolls—Yadav noted that kinship ties had been severed and that Anujesh would not be accepted back into the party. He added that if Anujesh wishes to preserve familial ties, he should rejoin the family.
Yadav also issued a warning to local officials, urging the district administration, including the District Magistrate, to ensure fair and transparent elections, emphasizing that no official should intimidate or pressure voters. He confidently stated that the BJP would not win a single seat in the upcoming state by-elections.
The SP leader made these remarks at a public meeting in Shahjahanpur village in the Ghiror area under the Karhal assembly segment.
Later, at a press conference, Yadav criticized the BJP’s approach, stating, “We want to protect the Constitution and seek votes from the public, whereas BJP seeks votes through officials, not the people.”
Commenting on the slogan “BJP win, threaten the public,” he expressed confidence in a significant victory for the SP in the Karhal by-election, even surpassing the Jaswantnagar margin.
Regarding Anujesh Yadav’s candidacy, he reiterated that former family members who joined the BJP would not be accepted back.
When asked about forming a separate party, Shivpal acknowledged he had previously established his own party but emphasized that he had always contested elections under the SP banner.
In response to a statement from UP Congress President Ajay Rai, Yadav supported Rai’s suggestion to complete the Ram temple before focusing on the Deepotsav celebrations.
“If there is faith in the heart, worship can be done with just a lamp. Diwali is an ancient festival, celebrated with lights in every home. BJP’s over-the-top festivities and campaigns are unnecessary expenditures,” he commented.
Shivpal Singh Yadav affirmed the SP’s strong stance in the upcoming by-elections, while Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav urged party workers to engage households and inform citizens of the BJP’s shortcomings.
She predicted that the Karhal assembly bypoll results would deliver a new political message and contribute to the eventual ousting of the BJP government.