Akhilesh says Ramlila rally ‘Haldighati of democracy’, predicts BJP’s exit

• Akhilesh Yadav calls the INDIA bloc rally a ‘Haldighati of democracy’ and predicts political change.

• SP chief alleges voter deletions in Uttar Pradesh and manipulation in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

• Yadav says the INDIA bloc will continue its campaign to save democracy, with the movement beginning in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday, 1 November said the massive turnout at the INDIA bloc rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan was a sign of political change on the horizon, describing the venue as the “Haldighati of democracy”. He asserted that the BJP, which came to power at the Centre through Uttar Pradesh, would also be shown the door from the state.

Addressing the gathering against alleged “vote chori (theft)”, Yadav took aim at the BJP’s claims of an unshakeable political position. Drawing a parallel with Angad’s firmly planted foot as described in the Ramayana, he said those who boasted of an immovable stance should first consider where they could place their foot, since they had been left with no ground to stand on.

The SP chief also referred to the recent MLC elections in Uttar Pradesh, saying the people of Kashi (Varanasi) had reduced the BJP’s “double-engine” government to a “double zero”.

Yadav raised concerns over alleged deletions from Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls, saying reports had surfaced even as the rally was being organised that 1.27 lakh Hindu voters had been removed from the lists. He said this amounted to a loss of 31,000 votes in every Assembly constituency. According to Yadav, those responsible were now trying to shift the blame for their electoral defeat on to others.

Turning to West Bengal, Yadav alleged that the Assembly election had been “looted” and that votes had been manipulated through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out ahead of the polls.

“We, in the INDIA alliance, will not stop,” he said. Yadav also claimed that the Opposition’s failure to form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2022 had been due to the alleged electoral theft.

Taking another swipe at the BJP, he said those who had once spoken of making India a “Vishwaguru” were now occupied with manipulating electoral rolls. He asserted that the people would come forward to save democracy, and that the movement would begin in Uttar Pradesh.

Yadav said the turnout at the rally had turned Ramlila Maidan into the “Haldighati of democracy”, adding that “parivartan” — change — could arrive at any time. “Those who came to power through UP will be ousted from there. And ‘UP wallahs’ (people), who are good at welcoming, are better at giving send-offs,” he said.

The Battle of Haldighati, fought in 1576 in a narrow mountain pass in Rajasthan’s Aravalli Range, was a major engagement between the Mewar Kingdom and the Mughal Empire.

With PTI inputs