Akhilesh does not have courage to contest UP polls, where he claims to have done developmental work: Keshav Maurya

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday took a swipe at former state chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that though he claimed credit for several developmental works in the state he does not have the courage to fight the forthcoming assembly elections from these constituencies.

"He (Akhilesh) used to claim that his government had started several developmental works. But now he does not have the courage to fight elections from any of these constituencies. I am surprised," Maurya said while addressing a press conference in Delhi after Aparna Yadav, Akhilesh's sister-in-law, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Aparna is the daughter-in-law of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. In 2011, she married Pratik Yadav, younger son of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Slamming Akhilesh, Maurya further said, "The former CM and SP president Akhilesh Yadav is not successful in his own family. He has also been unsuccessful in being the CM of the state. He is unsuccessful as a member of parliament too."

Taking to Twitter, Maurya said, "Akhilesh Yadav is afraid of contesting the assembly elections. He has taken so much time to find a safe place. He is afraid to fight on the land of development. Akhilesh ji, first tell where was the most development done from 2012 to 2017? You cannot compete with the BJP's development work."

In a bid to return to power, ruling BJP in UP has fielded state chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the assembly elections from Gorakhpur. As per sources in SP, Akhilesh will also contest the assembly elections. However, the party has not yet disclosed on which seat he will be contesting the polls.

However, the SP has received a major setback with Aparna joining the BJP.

This comes days after the Yogi Adityanath government saw a series of big exits with three UP ministers and several MLAs joining forces with Akhilesh Yadav.
The three former state ministers welcomed by Akhilesh Yadav in his party include Swami Prasad Maurya, Dharam Singh Saini and Dara Singh Chauhan.
Meanwhile, the MLAs who exited from the BJP include Vinay Shakya, Roshan Lal Verma, Mukesh Verma and Bhagwati Sagar.
Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases.
The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)