Not keeping poll promises amounts to political corruption, says Mulayam

Lucknow, Nov 22: In a scathing remark aimed at the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party stalwart here on Wednesday said, “Not fulfilling poll promises amounts to political corruption.”

He was speaking during his 79th birthday celebrations organised by his son and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav at the party headquarters here. Mulayam Yadav was referring to the promise made by the BJP that Rs15 lakh would be deposited in the bank accounts of poor people. “During 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, the BJP had promised Rs 15 lakh to each poor family in the country but after winning they did not keep their promise. It could be termed political corruption," he said. “If the government wanted, it could have given the money in instalments to the poor, but it failed to deliver."  In contrast, Mulayam Yadav claimed, “Samajwadi Party promised several sops during 2012 Assembly polls in UP and it fulfilled each and every one.” After cutting the 79-kg birthday cake in the presence of other senior party leaders, Yadav gave a 40-minute-long speech in which he commented on several issues, including Ayodhya. However, his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav were not conspicuous by their absence at the birthday celebrations. UNI