Party's MP from Moradabad, ST Hasan, talks to on the prospects of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the patch-up between former chief minister Akhilesh and uncle and the Bill on increasing women's age for marriage. Edited excerpts:
This time, we haven't prepared for the elections; it is the people who have done all the preparations to ward off the BJP from UP. Our national president, Akhilesh had set an example as a CM - be it in starting metro trains, expressway, pension to 55 lakh women, laptops, unemployment benefit, among others. What has the BJP done? For the last five years, they were sleeping. Now they are inaugurating projects started by the SP. All they have done is divide the society on religious lines and do Hindu-Muslim politics. I am sure they will do something as elections near to the votes.
Now, even Hindus can see through their ploy. The BJP has exploited them; they are aware of the fact and will not fall prey to the BJP this time. Voters will not be this time. Be it the all are coming to the SP fold. They know that the BSP is neither in the field nor in the fray. The BJP is conspiring to end reservation benefits for them. They are our country's assets. People are well aware of what is going on. Till when will the people be fooled
The SP has tied up with small parties. How will this benefit the party?
This will benefit us a lot. Past alliances with larger parties did not benefit us. Other parties gained at our expense. In the (2019) polls, the BSP went from zero to five and in the (2017) elections, we went down from absolute majority to 47; this directly benefitted the Congress. Post elections, only secular and like-minded parties should come together
Don't you think that Owaisi fighting alone will divide Muslim votes and eat into SP's traditional votes?
Owaisi's image among Muslims is that of a vote-cutter. This has become all the more evident after the Bihar and West Bengal elections. Henceforth, Muslims and secular Hindus will vote tactfully to stall the BJP.
Who was behind bringing Shivpal and Akhilesh together?
Both parties will benefit from this association.
Shivpal saw himself as CM. What will be his role post-elections?
See, in that way, there are many other smaller parties who do not have a single MLA but still dream of becoming the CM. But at the same time, now that he has joined Akhilesh, it should be mutually beneficial for both.
On the Bill to increase the age of girl's marriage from 18 to 21, you had justified that girls should get married at 16...
This was my personal view. I had said 18 was the right age. It should not be raised beyond 18. If at 16, a girl is mature and fertile, what is the harm? In that sense, people in the UK are fools where the marriageable age is 16. Good marriages for girls happen by the age of 20.
Owaisi's image among Muslims is that of a vote-cutter. This has become all the more evident after the Bihar and West Bengal elections. Henceforth, Muslims and secular Hindus will vote tactfully to stall the BJP.
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