Mulayam gets tough with 'the party of thugs, opportunists and cheats'

UPA ally says Congress can't be trusted as it can stoop to any level for power. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav chose the occasion of Holi to sprinkle the Congress party

with colourful sobriquets like thug, mauka parast (opportunist) and dhokhebaaz (cheat). The SP chief launched his volley against the Congress on Wednesday after playing Holi at his native

village of Sefai (Etawah district). His comments are being seen against the background of the SP’s electoral strategy keeping in mind early elections. The SP is playing a crucial role at

present vis a vis the stability of the UPA government after the DMK withdrew its support to the Congress-led coalition at the Centre. “The Congress has been taking the people for a ride. It

can stoop to any level to stay in power,” Mulayam said while addressing party workers at Sefai. “The Congress is a thug, an opportunist and a cheat,” he said inviting loud applause from his

supporters. Those who have been watching Mulayam closely are of the view that the political mastermind is playing out a gambit to preempt the Congress party’s attack against the Akhilesh

Yadav regime in UP after the budget session. The ace political wrestler, knowledgeable party sources say, already has an idea that Rahul Gandhi would be leading a full-scale attack against

the SP in UP after the budget session. Mulayam said the Congress always did things keeping elections in mind. “First, the party waived farmers’ loan slightly and then the elections took

place which saw Congress winning a convincing majority. They will do that again. They are so clever and cheat...they take people for a ride when the time comes,” Yadav said. He alleged that

as part of its old game plan, the Congress always reduced prices of essential items just before elections. He asked the people not to fall for the Congress’s tactics. Hinting at his

ambitions for a larger role in national politics, Yadav said the coming Lok Sabha elections are the “real elections as Delhi means everything”. “State governments don’t mean much. They are

like your ‘patwari’ (revenue official) while the government in Delhi is like your Collector (district Magistrate),” the SP chief said. Speaking on the occasion, Mulayam’s son and UP chief

minister Akhilesh Yadav said the party workers’ next target should be to see Mulayam on the throne in Delhi. The SP chief said that in the next Lok Sabha election, the SP would be in the

role of kingmaker and party workers should work hard so that the party can don the key role. He said the faith with which people installed a SP government in Uttar Pradesh has to be

retierated in Lok Sabha elections, too. At present, the UPA needs the SP’s crucial support for the passage of some important bills in the second part of the budget session of Parliament.

Congress sources say the party has drawn up an aggressive plan against the SP in UP in which Beni Prasad Verma, Rashid Alvi and Rasheed Masood would play the central part under Rahul’s

leadership. The Congress is sure to attack Mulayam on his recent cosying up to the BJP, too. “Mulayam is an old hand and knows what’s in the offing,” said a senior SP leader. “He is

preparing the party to take them head on,” he added. _@dgidwani123_