Lalu Confident Farmers Will Ensure BJP’s Defeat in UP

Patna: Former Bihar chief minister (CM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav is confident of farmers, especially Jats, voting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly polls.

A day ahead of the first phase of polling in western Uttar Pradesh, considered a stronghold of Jats, Lalu said that the community will vote against the BJP as it has not forgotten the humiliation and abuse during the protest against the now-repealed farm laws.

“I have made a special appeal to the Jat community to vote against the BJP to defeat it. I am certain that the BJP will be defeated in Uttar Pradesh polls,” Lalu said in his signature style during an interaction with the media here.

Lalu, who arrived in Patna from Delhi on Tuesday to attend the RJD’s national executive meeting on Thursday, said that “indications from UP show that the BJP is headed to a crushing defeat and will be clean bowled” and predicted a Samajwadi Party-led alliance government with Akhilesh Yadav becoming CM again.

Lalu further attacked the Centre for “ignoring” rising poverty, joblessness, price rise and increasing social disharmony. “People have become tired of BJP’s misleading propaganda and false campaign of ‘Achche Din’. The British have returned in the form of BJP after 70 years.”

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “only talking about temples and mosques”, Lalu said, “Modi has been talking mostly about riots, religion and temples. He has forgotten his promises of providing employment to the youth, controlling price rise and fighting poverty.”

Lalu reiterated his desire to return to active politics and contest the next Lok Sabha elections. “I will contest the parliamentary polls and will be elected to counter Modi in the Lok Sabha. He has been talking about useless things.”

Lalu was reluctant to comment on the speculation of the RJD and JD(United) joining hands to form the next government in Bihar.