Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) President Naresh Tikait has expressed regret over his statement supporting the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (SP-RLD) alliance in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022. After appealing for the support of the SP-RLD alliance, Tikait said that the Kisan United Front is supreme and he should not have made such statements.
Interestingly, the BKU president’s U-turn on his statement came soon after his meeting with Union Minister and BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan, who had visited his residence.
“I said something which I should not have done. Kisan United Front is supreme and I am not above it. If any candidate comes here I will give my blessings but no one should take support.
“BJP candidates are not our enemies, anyone can come and seek my blessings, but no one should take support,” he said.
On January 14, Tikait blessed the RLD candidates from Muzaffarnagar’s Budhana and Meerapur seats at the BKU headquarters in Sisauli village. Addressing the gathering, he said in a video, “Wherever the (SP-RLD) alliance candidates are there, make them win.”
BKU spokesperson and Naresh Tikait’s brother Rakesh Tikait also denied the earlier claims of support for the SP-RLD alliance. “We have not given any support yet and we will confirm the same with our official social media account soon. Leaders of different parties are reaching the village, so everyone is being asked to contest elections