Sanatan pandey (PTI)
NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) from Ballia MP Sanatan Pandey on Saturday invoked the age-old social and cultural ties between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar while urging people across the border to back the Mahagathbandhan with votes as ‘dowry” in the upcoming electionsSpeaking to reporters Pandey said that Uttar Pradesh has a “special proclivity” for Bihar, suggesting that without districts such as Chhapra, Ara, and Siwan, “more than half our (UP) boys would remain unmarried.” “Humara to roti, beti ka sambandh hai wahan se,” he said, referring to the social bond between the two states. “And because we have such a relationship, the people of Ballia will go and ask for votes as ‘dowry’. Give your vote as ‘dowry’ and help in the formation of the coalition (Mahagathbandhan) government,” Pandey added.The SP leader went on to say that even BJP members and others in Bihar can remain in their party but out of ‘roti-beti ka rishta’ they should give their vote to their coalition as “dowry”.“If we’ll go to Chhapra, a prominent lawyer Awadesh Singh who is a BJP member, a good friend of mine, will ask him to be in BJP, but give your vote as dowry, we are going to do this only,” he said.Praising RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Pandey credited the former Bihar deputy chief minister for creating employment opportunities that benefited people from both states.“In the short period of time Tejashwi (as deputy CM of Bihar) the 5 lakh jobs he gave have benefitted people from Varanasi, Ballia, Chandauli and others as well, so the youth of Uttar Pradesh is also resolved if they are on the booths they will also give vote to Tejashwi,” he added.