Raking up the Agnipath scheme once again, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that the one who wants to serve the country will "never want to become Agniveer".
Akhilesh claimed that no one was given a job after the recruitment rally under the scheme in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad.
The SP chief was addressing Ex-Servicemen Conference in poll-bound Mainpuri while seeking their support for the candidate for the seat. The party has fielded the wife of Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav on the seat for the by-poll scheduled to be held on December 5.
"One who wants to serve the country will never want to become Agniveer. Recruitments were done in Farrukhabad, but no one got a job. The government is saying that it is saving the budget through these schemes, but when the country itself will not survive, how can the budget survive," Akhilesh said.
Seeking the support of the ex-servicemen in the forces, the SP chief said that people believe them and that their support will have an impact on the people.
"I am hopeful that our party workers are working, our leaders are working hard and if you support us, there will be no worries for us. The people believe that when you say something, they trust you," he said.
The Mainpuri seat, considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, will be going to by-polls on December 5 which was mandated due to the demise of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on October 10 this year.
The party released a list of star campaigners for the by-poll which included Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh's uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) chief.
The other prominent names that are included in the list are Akhilesh, Jaya Bachchan, Azam Khan and others.
Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav recently met with Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav to discuss the elections.
Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat is a prestigious seat for the Yadav family and is a Samajwadi Party bastion.
There was speculation that Shivpal Singh Yadav may contest. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party declared Dimple Yadav as its candidate.
According to family sources, Shivpal Singh Yadav also supported Dimple Yadav's candidature after which the Samajwadi Party went a step further and included his name in its list of star campaigners.
This is the first time after the split in the Yadav family that Shivpal Singh Yadav not only supported Dimple Yadav's candidature but also came out to campaign for her.
Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav had drawn apart before the 2017 assembly elections. Shivpal formed Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party in 2018 after losing the apparent battle to take control of the Samajwadi Party. The Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party did not get much electoral success.
The result of the by-poll will be declared on December 8.
( With inputs from ANI )
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