Those looking for profit will leave: Akhilesh Yadav on cross-voting concerns, SP chief whip quitting
Lucknow, Feb 27: Those looking to make a profit will leave, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday as the party's chief whip in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly quit while voting was underway for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
Action will be taken against such MLAs, Yadav asserted. The jolt to the principal opposition party in the state came a day after eight MLAs skipped a meeting called by him, raising concerns about cross-voting by some SP legislators.
Speaking to reporters at the Assembly before casting his vote, Yadav alleged that the ruling BJP would resort to any means to win elections.
On some MLAs skipping his Monday night meeting, the SP chief said, "Those who wanted to profit from the situation will go. Those who were given assurances (by the BJP) will go."
In a swipe at the ruling party, Yadav said, "Those who put spikes in someone else's path or dig holes for others will pay the price themselves."
"You have seen what happened in Chandigarh in front of CCTV cameras. I thank the Supreme Court, which saved the Constitution. The BJP can adopt all tricks to win elections. It must have given assurance (to some MLAs) of some profit... BJP will do anything to win," he added.
"Those who don't have the courage to fight will go. Some might have been afraid for their security, some might have been threatened or promised something," the SP said.
The SP's chief whip in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Manoj Pandey and seven other MLAs did not attend the meeting called by Yadav.
The BJP has fielded eight candidates and the opposition Samajwadi Party three for 10 Rajya Sabha seats for which voting is being held.
The BJP and the SP have the numbers to send seven and three members, respectively, to the Upper House of Parliament but with the BJP fielding Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate, a keen contest is on the cards.
Seth, an industrialist and former SP leader, joined the BJP in 2019. Any cross-voting from SP leaders could get Seth elected.
The BJP and the SP are the two largest parties in the 403-member state assembly with 252 and 108 MLAs, respectively. The Congress, an alliance partner of the SP, has two seats.
BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) has 13 seats, the NISHAD Party has six seats, RLD has nine, SBSP six, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik two and the BSP has one seat. Four seats are currently vacant.
The seven other candidates fielded by the BJP are former Union minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain.
The Samajwadi Party has fielded actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman.
To get elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, a candidate needs 37 first preference votes, an official said.
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Child rape-murder: Hundreds protest on Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune; traffic hit
Pune (PTI): Hundreds of people blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune to protest the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl, leading to traffic disruption on the busy route for about four hours.
The girl's family members and other demonstrators placed the body on the road in the Navale Bridge area on Saturday evening and demanded stringent punishment for the 65-year-old man arrested in the case.
Several videos surfaced showing a huge traffic jam on the highway.
Later, the victim's last rites were performed at the Vaikunt crematorium here shortly after midnight amid tight police security.
The accused man, who works as a labourer and has a criminal record, allegedly lured the girl with the promise of food on Friday in the Bhor tehsil of Pune district. He then took her to a cattle enclosure where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and later killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to the police.
He was arrested based on CCTV footage from a private residence, which captured him with the child.
A case was registered against him under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and he has been remanded in police custody till May 7.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday met the family of the victim, assuring them of strict action against the accused and a fast-track trial.
Describing the incident as "shocking" and a "blot on humanity", Pawar said the government stands firmly with the victim's family and will ensure justice.
She also spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought a fast-track court trial so that the accused receives the harshest punishment.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde directed Pune rural police to gather concrete evidence to build a watertight case and conduct the trial in a fast-track court.
Efforts should be made to ensure the accused gets the death penalty, a statement quoted Shinde as saying.
