Dynasty Allegations Unfounded as Rajya Sabha Nomination Not Applicable: Aditya Yadav, SP Badaun Candidate

Shivpal Yadav's son, Aditya, denies "parivarvad" allegations for his nomination from Budaun. He claims it's a strategy and argues that if he had been nominated for Rajya Sabha or UP Legislative Council, the charge would be valid. The SP leader dismisses confusion in naming the candidate, stating it was intentional. He criticizes the BJP's claims of winning all 80 UP seats, predicting the INDIA bloc will dominate. Aditya believes the BSP won't dent the SP-Congress alliance and highlights the importance of unity among opposition parties. Despite the RLD joining the NDA, he claims it won't impact the SP but may affect the RLD. He condemns CM Adityanath's attacks on his father and lists unpaid sugarcane dues and issues with the Budaun Medical College as major election concerns.

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav's son and the party nominee from Budaun, Aditya Yadav, has said allegations of ''parivarvad'' (dynasty) against him would have been justified had he been nominated to the Rajya Sabha or the UP Legislative Council.

Badaun goes to polls on Tuesday. With 11 candidates in the fray from the constituency, the main contest is between BJP's Durvijay Singh Shakya and Aditya Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav's son said there was ''no confusion'' in naming the SP candidate from Budaun, and the change of name of the candidate was ''deliberately'' done as a part of a strategy.

The SP had initially named Shivpal Yadav from the constituency but days later on his request, the party made his son the nominee in his place from the seat.

''I would have accepted the 'parivarvad' (charge) if I was made a Rajya Sabha MP or member of UP's Legislative Council by the party,'' Aditya Yadav said.

''We go to the people and contest elections. If the public likes us, then it makes us victorious in the elections. Otherwise, it even makes us face defeat.

''If the public feels that 'parivarvad' is being foisted on it, then it will make us sit at home. If it wants someone from the (political) family (to contest the polls), then that will usher in development in the region or constituency. It can be looked at from this perspective as well,'' Aditya Yadav told PTI in an interview.

The BJP leaders have been aiming barbs at the SP for naming five members of the Akhilesh Yadav clan, including himself and wife Dimple Yadav, from different Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Asked to comment on the confusion which prevailed in naming of the SP candidate from Budaun Lok Sabha seat, Aditya Yadav said, ''From the beginning itself, there was no confusion as far as naming the Samajwadi Party candidate from Budaun Lok Sabha seat is concerned. This was our strategy and we are happy that the strategy made by us was successful. It was deliberately done and done as a part of a strategy.'' Terming the BJP's claims of winning all the 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP as an ''overestimation'', Aditya Yadav said, ''There is no truth in this (BJP's claim), and when the results will be out, it will be the opposite. The INDIA bloc is going to take the lead in UP. The NDA candidates at a number of places will lose their security deposit.'' Claiming that the INDIA bloc is stronger than before, he said, ''This is because in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the opposition parties (combined) had got 66 per cent votes. However, it was the BJP which formed the government.

''Now, if these parties unite under the INDIA bloc, the 66 per cent vote share (of these parties) will definitely dominate over the BJP. In the first two phases (of Lok Sabha polls), we have seen this, and this is the trend,'' Yadav said.

To a question whether the BSP will be able to dent the Congress-SP alliance in the state, the 35-year-old SP candidate from Badaun said, ''There will be no dent on the SP-Congress alliance as the public has understood their (BSP's) intention. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, every party had its own vote.

The BJP started the one-on-one contest. Today, it is the INDIA versus the NDA, and there is nobody else. The public, which is against the NDA, is with the INDIA (bloc). The BSP candidates were deliberately changed so that the votes of the opposition can be divided,'' he said.

On the SP's strategy to ensure that the opposition's votes are not split, Aditya Yadav said, ''We are informing the public that this is a one-on-one election between the NDA and the INDIA bloc. The people know about this. The INDIA bloc was formed because along with the party leaders, the party workers and even the public wanted the opposition parties to unite.'' On the differences it will make to the SP with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)joining the NDA, Aditya Yadav said, ''It will not make any difference to us but it will definitely have an impact on the RLD itself, as their core voters are very angry with them. If sitting in the second line is what they like, then congratulations to them.'' Asked to comment on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's attack on his father Shivpal Yadav, Aditya Yadav said, ''See, it is necessary for him (Adityanath) to take jibes because anyhow he wants to mock Shivpal ji. The language which he (Adityanath) uses not only for my father but also others is extremely condemnable. I cannot understand why the ECI (Election Commission) is not taking any cognisance of these things?'' Terming his first election as a ''big responsibility'', Aditya Yadav said SP founder late Mulayam Singh Yadav had contested from Badaun. His (Aditya) older cousin Dharmendra Yadav represented Badaun for two consecutive terms from 2009 to 2019 and worked a lot for the constituency, he said.

''I have a big responsibility on my shoulders and I should be able to serve the people of Budaun the way in which Netaji (Mulayam) and Dharmendra had done,'' he said.

He also said the non-payment of sugarcane dues to the farmers is one of the major issues in this election. The Budaun Medical College and Hospital, which was constructed by the SP, is not providing any medical treatment, and the doctors are sitting there only to refer cases (to other hospitals), he alleged.

Over 20.07 lakh voters of Budaun will cast their vote on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)