Was PM Modi mulling 2024 Lok Sabha contest from Ayodhya? SP's Awadhesh Prasad replies

Awadhesh Prasad, the member of parliament from Faizabad seat in Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh, claimed on Sunday that there were murmurs within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency in the Ram temple town.

“There were discussions around it. Prime Minister Modi had visited Ayodhya and held roadshows. The BJP cadre was low on morale on hearing about my candidature. I don't practice caste politics. People of all castes and communities respect me. The fear-stricken BJP leaders began to say how will I win as the PM is going to contest (polls),” Prasad told Hindustan Times' Kumkum Chadha in an interview.

Why did the BJP lose in Ayodhya?

In the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, Prasad stunned everyone by winning the Faizabad seat in Ayodhya district, where the Ram temple stands.

Recalling how he was fielded from the high-profile seat, the lawmaker said,"Akhilesh Yadav told me he wants to honour me in a big way. He told me you have to contest Lok Sabha election. He told me that if I contest, I will win irrespective of any BJP candidate against me."

ALSO READ: Samajwadi MP Awadhesh Prasad says infrastructure in Ayodhya crumbling, blames BJP

When asked why did the saffron party lose months after the ‘pran pratishtha’ of the Ram temple, Prasad said,"It is the defeat of the BJP's mindset and ideology. Ayodhya is the land of Lord Ram. It was believed that no citizen will face any difficulty here. In this ‘Ram Rajya’, homes of people were demolished. Expensive land was acquired at throwaway prices," Prasad told HT during the interview.

“India's public does not express its anger. But conveys its angst from time to time,” the 78-year-old leader said.

ALSO READ: How SP managed to stun BJP in Uttar Pradesh despite Ram Temple hype

When asked about his prospects of becoming the Lok Sabha deputy speaker, Prasad,"God has been kind to me. I am a nine-time MLA. My wife has been a Panchayat chief. I have a been a six-time minister."

The Faizabad MP said he is not aware of becoming the deputy speaker. “I have no official information regarding this. Whatever I know is because of media coverage,” he added.

‘Will make Akhilesh Yadav the PM’

Awadhesh Prasad, who has been associated with the Samajwadi Party since its inception, said he has never changed his party affiliation for the past 45 years.

“Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) could not become the prime minister. Three months ago, I told Akhilesh ji that I couldn't make Netaji the PM. But I will make you the prime minister,” he said.