SP chief Akhilesh Yadav brands BJP and Congress in the same bracket, urges people to shun both parties in Lok Sabha elections

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday branded the BJP and the Congress in the same bracket and urged people to shun both and vote en bloc for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Hitting out at the BJP and the Congress at the first joint alliance rally in the state, Akhilesh Yadav said both these parties pursued the same policies.

"Not a single vote should be divided. Both the BJP and the Congress are same. There is not much difference between these parties," Yadav said.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister shared the stage for the first first time with BSP leader Mayawati and RLD chief Ajit Singh.

Speaking on the alliance, he said: "This coalition is to get a new Prime Minister."

Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Congress, saying the party does not want change, its only focus is to form a government in Uttar Pradesh.

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The SP chief raised questions about the promises made by the PM Modi government in the last Lok Sabha battle and accused the Prime Minister of speaking lies on the issues of economic development.

"In the last Lok Sabha election he (Narendra Modi) was a chaiwala and now he is a chowkidar. Our coalition is for a grand change. Neither Uttar Pradesh's two-year-old BJP government nor the Centre's five-year-old government could do as much as our government did," Akhilesh Yadav said.

BSP's Fazlur Rahman is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Saharanpur constituency, which includes five Assembly segments -- Behat, Saharanpur, Saharanpur Dehat, Rampur Maniharan and Deoband.

Voting will take place for Saharanpur on April 11, in the first of seven phases.

(With inputs from agencies)