“Vijayawada is a historic land, and we chose to hold our first ever party meeting here after seeking the blessings of Goddess Kanaka Durga atop Indrakeeladri with the hope that the party will make rapid inroads into this region very soon,” said Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav on Saturday.
Addressing a meeting organised by the party’s local unit in the city on Saturday, Mr. Yadav said: “The large number of women and youth present here must generate a revolution.”
Trying to drive home the point that in the given circumstances, a party like the Samajwadi Party and a leader like Mulayam Singh Yadav were the best bet for people across the country, he launched a scathing attack on the BJP for making promises on the eve of elections and doing nothing to fulfil them after forming the government at the Centre. “India stands only second in terms of world population, and we are big in size even area-wise. But, in terms of development, we lag far behind,” he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to provide jobs to unemployed youth and bring back black money stashed in foreign banks. Where are the jobs and where is the money? Look at Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party has done a wonderful work in just two years. Education and health have been made free, and nearly 40 lakh people benefit from the pension scheme,” Mr. Yadav added.
He also expressed hope that the party would soon form governments in Haryana, Bihar and Karnataka and, a while later, in Andhra Pradesh.
The party’s national vice-president Kiranmoyi Nanda, UP State secretary Vikas Yadav and Andhra Pradesh State president M. Navin participated.
