The Samajwadi Party on Thursday, 9 May, announced that four public rallies and events of its chief Akhilesh Yadav, that were scheduled for Friday, have been cancelled.
This came amid claims that the party had decided to cancel the event amid budgetary constraints.
Sources in the know told the The Quint that Akhilesh's election expenditure, set by the poll officer, was close to being exhausted as the administration had changed the base rates set for rally-related expenses at the last moment.
“If another meeting was done, then the expenses would have increased beyond the Rs 70 lakh limit set,” a source said. “Concerned about this (limit), the party decided to cancel the programme altogether.”
The same Information, about cancellation of Akhilesh’s programmes, was also given to the Azamgarh administration on behalf of the party soon after.
‘Poll Officer Looking for Technical Reasons to Get Events Cancelled’
However, a letter issued by the SP Azamgarh in-charge, Hawaldar Yadav, blamed the poll officer for acting on the behest of the ruling dispensation.
He alleged that the poll officer, under pressure from the ruling government, was looking for ‘technical’ reasons to get the events cancelled.
In the statement, Hawaldar claimed that the BJP was aware that the Mahagathbandhan would easily win the Azamgarh seat and was “conspiring to derail the victory.”
“For the same reason, the poll body has altered the pre-determined campaigning budget just two days before polling,” the statement read.
Here is a copy of the full statement released by SP:
The Battle for Azamgarh
The latest development comes amid an already heated political battle between Akhilesh and the BJP’s Nirahua, a Bhojpuri star, who is drawing huge crowds in his roadshows and meetings after he entered the poll fray
The Samajwadi Party supremo, however, appears to be sitting pretty with caste and local equations by his side against rival BJP candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav (alias Nirahua) in Azamgarh.
When asked about his decision to contest on this seat, Yadav had told PTI: "I have been getting requests from leaders to contest from here. As I had to contest from somewhere and the party decided to field me from this seat, I agreed.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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