Samajwadi Party to Contest BMC Elections Alone in Maharashtra: Abu Azmi

Samajwadi Party (SP)'s Maharashtra unit President Abu Azmi said on Tuesday that the party will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections without aligning with any other party in the state.

Asked about distancing himself as formerly being a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Azmi said: "We are secular people. Babri Masjid was demolished but the court considers the people who committed this act as criminals, while some people from the MVA hail the court's judgment. This is against the spirit of the Constitution and the Samajwadi Party cannot align with such people. This matter was discussed with SP President Akhilesh Yadav that the party will contest BMC elections alone."

Regarding the issue arising in the Winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly, the SP leader said, "On Tuesday we raised the issue of bus drivers in the state. As many as 43 people were injured and eight died in a bus accident in Kurla. It was revealed that the driver was not trained to drive properly. At the same time, one person died in an accident in my area Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency. Many people on social media said that liquor was being purchased and kept under the seat of the bus. This is sheer negligence and people are losing their lives. We demand to blacklist the company which is training the drivers and file a murder case against it."

Commenting on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) leader Sharad Pawar's displeasure over Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, Azmi said: "Ajit Pawar is a part of the ruling MahaYuti alliance. He is the Deputy Chief Minister, but is nowhere to be seen."

Regarding the displeasure about the cabinet posts given to the ministers in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra, the SP leader said: "This decision rests with the Chief Minister. They (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine) will know very well what is best for them. I say that whoever is in power should do justice to all the people of the society, as they have taken the oath under the Constitution."