Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 3 : Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday thanked voters in the teachers' and graduates' constituencies after party candidates Ashutosh Sinha and Lal Bihari Yadav won, describing the results as a “double defeat” for those who had repeatedly spoken about a “double-engine government”.
Speaking in Varanasi, Yadav said the party was grateful to voters for their support and credited the victories to the blessings of Baba Vishwanath.
“I would like to thank all the voters in the teachers' and graduates' constituencies and express my gratitude to them. Baba Vishwanath has blessed us twice. With his blessings, Ashutosh Sinha and Lal Bihari Yadav have both won,” he said.
The SP chief said the party was not arrogant about its victories but took a swipe at those who had spoken about a double-engine government, double speed and double development.
“We are not arrogant about this victory, but those who constantly spoke about a double-engine government, double speed and double development have now faced a double defeat. They have received a double loss and double zero,” Yadav said.
He also alleged that the people had responded to the treatment meted out to Varanasi, which he described as Baba Vishwanath's religious city. Referring to the demolition at Manikarnika Ghat and the lathi-charge on members of the Pal community, he accused the authorities of attempting to erase the city's culture and heritage.
“Everyone remembers how they treated Baba Vishwanath's religious city, from the demolition at Manikarnika Ghat to the lathi-charge on the Pal community. They have tried to erase the city's culture and heritage, and they have received the people's response,” he said.
In the MLC polls, the BJP won six of the 11 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured five. The BJP won the Agra Graduates’, Bareilly-Moradabad Teachers’, Lucknow Teachers’, Meerut Teachers’, Meerut Graduates’ and Gorakhpur-Faizabad Teachers’ constituencies. The Samajwadi Party won the Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’, Varanasi Teachers’ and Agra-Aligarh Teachers’ constituencies.