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Journalism of Courage
In her ongoing election campaign in Mainpuri, sitting Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Dimple Yadav is reaching out to people across all sections of society, addressing short eight-nine rallies a day. On Sunday, April 28, Dimple addressed eight small public meetings in different villages, each with a crowd of around 200 people. In her speeches, she raised issues of inflation, unemployment, paper leaks and reservations, and accused the BJP of indulging in ”phoot wali rajneeti (divisive politics)” and “dabav ki rajneeti (pressure politics)” to divert attention from real issues. She also met the youths, women and elderly.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Dimple had lost from Kannauj, later winning the Mainpuri seat in a bypoll following the death of the sitting MP and her father-in-law, SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Excerpts from an interview:
On what issues are you seeking votes?
All the issues that I am speaking about in my speeches (inflation, unemployment, paper leaks, reservations).
This is the first Lok Sabha election for the SP in which Mulayam Singh Yadav is not present. Does his absence pose a challenge for you in Mainpuri?
I believe the SP is getting votes from all communities. Ten years of the BJP at the Centre and seven years in Uttar Pradesh is a long time for them to have brought change… The public is fed up with the BJP’s lies, but the BJP isn’t yet tired of speaking lies.
Mulayam had made Mainpuri his fortress. How will you retain his legacy?
This is not about legacy, but about the socialist ideology. My objective is taking it forward. I believe lots of people are getting associated with this ideology because they understand the prevailing situation, where the Constitution is being attacked and democracy is being murdered across the country.
Some non-Yadav OBC sections don’t seem interested in voting for the SP in the absence of Mulayam. How will the party attract them?
All communities, sections and people are going to vote for the SP in all the seats.
Will the BSP putting up a Yadav candidate have any impact on your chances?
It won’t make any difference. The SP will win.
How do you view PM Modi’s claims that the Congress will take away women’s mangalsutras, or his description of Akhilesh and Rahul as ‘a flop film by two boys’?
In spite of all the lies and abuses of the BJP, the public is fed up with them. Now, people understand what these statements really are, because the change promised by the BJP in their lives has not come. Even on its promise of free ration, the government is only providing bajra (millet). Ten years ago, they were getting everything.
