'INDIA bloc will defeat BJP on all 80 seats in UP': Shivpal Yadav launches poll campaign in Badaun
Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday started his Lok Sabha poll campaign in Badaun in western Uttar Pradesh with a 'Jan Sampark Yatra' and claimed that the INDIA bloc will defeat the BJP on all 80 seats in the state. Yadav, who has been fielded by his party from Badaun Lok Sabha seat, also said that the ruling BJP is not finding a candidate against him.
Earlier in a post in Hindi on X, Yadav said he shares a decades-long relationship with the region. «I have several stories and memories related to Badaun,» he added.
The SP leader also shared a couplet of famous poet Shakeel Badayuni along with his post on the microblogging platform.
Talking to reporters during the 'Jan Sampark (public relations) Yatra', the SP leader stressed, «Badaun has been the stronghold of Samajwadi Party...from here 'Netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav), Professor Saheb (Ram Gopal Yadav) and Dharmendra have been MPs. Now I have come.»
Dharmendra Yadav had won 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls from the seat but was trounced in the 2019 polls.
Claiming that the BJP is not able to find a candidate against him, Yadav said, «Let them first announce a candidate...INDIA bloc will trounce them on all the 80 seats.»
The SP and the Congress — the INDIA bloc partners — have announced a tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls in UP. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the SP will contest on 63 seats while the remaining 17 seats have been allotted to the grand old party.
On reaching Badaun for the first time after being made a candidate, Yadav was
