Lok Sabha polls moral victory for INDIA bloc, says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

New Delhi, July 2 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the 2024 Lok Sabha polls marked the end of communal politics in India, and were a moral victory for the INDIA bloc.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president's address, the Kannauj MP called June 4, the day the election results were declared, as the day of independence from communal politics for India. "The whole India has understood that INDIA is pro-India. This election is the moral victory of INDIA. It is a victory of positive politics. It is victory of PDA, social justice movement. 2024's message is also full of responsibility for the INDIA bloc," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

 "June 4, 2024 was the day of independence from communal politics for India. In this election, communal politics has lost forever," Yadav said. "This election is a new era of positive politics, pro-Constitution people have won, the Constitution has won... It is the end of top-down politics," he said. Referring to the BJP's defeat in Faizabad, he said it was perhaps the wish of Lord Ram. "Hoi wahi jo Ram rachi rakha (Whatever Ram has planned will happen)," Yadav said. Faizabad MP and SP leader Awadhesh Kumar was seated next to Yadav. 

Yadav said he will not trust EVMs even if he wins all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. He said the INDIA alliance will do away with EVMs when it comes to power.

"When the Model Code of Conduct was imposed, the government and the commission were favouring some people. I do not want to go into details. Somewhere a question has been raised on that institution as well," Yadav said in an apparent reference to the Election Commission.

"I did not trust EVMs yesterday, I don't trust them today. And even if I win all 80 seats, I will not trust EVMs," he said. "... the issue of EVMs is not dead, and we Samajwadis will remain adamant on it," Yadav added.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla later said it would be better if questions were not raised on the impartiality of the Election Commission.