JOIN USAhead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav has called for a larger Opposition unity to root out the BJP from power in the state.
Yadav, who hails from Madhya Pradesh and is spearheading a "save composite culture" campaign across the country, is scheduled to visit the state on Tuesday to persuade the Opposition parties to come together and make a formidable alliance against the ruling BJP.
Madhya Pradesh, where BJP is in power for the last 15 years under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is expected to go for Assembly polls by the end of this year.
"There is a conference scheduled to be held in Bhopal on August 2. Members of various political parties will be attending the event. We are making efforts to see that all non-BJP parties come together and form a formidable alliance to root out the BJP from power,” Yadav told reporters at a press conference.
This comes at a time when the talks for an alliance of the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh is underway.
Though the Congress, BSP and SP are yet to hold a formal discussion on sharing of seats, Congress sources say the grand old party may offer 25-30 seats to the BSP and five to the SP.
"Efforts are on to bring other parties like Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) in the fold," Yadav said.
The GGP, a political outfit of tribals formed in Madhya Pradesh in 1991, is keen on forging a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.
"The BJP is trying to polarise the country through mobocracy and various other means just to retain power. It is time for all non-BJP parties to come together against the BJP and save the Constitution (of India)," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the Bahujan Mukti Party (BMP), based in Uttar Pradesh, announced its merger with the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) of Sharad Yadav.
"This merger will help in rallying around of Opposition parties. The farmers, traders, poor and disadvantaged sections of the society have been badly hit by this government and its policies," Yadav said.
He also announced his party's support to the 'Bharat bandh' called by the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha against a recent Supreme Court's verdict, which was seen as diluting the provisions of the Schedule Caste Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
"Bring Ordinance to supersede the apex court verdict. I will ask them to withdraw their call for bandh," Yadav demanded.