SP hopeful of winning 250 seats in UP polls

Gorakhpur, May 3 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh PWD minister and senior ruling Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav today claimed his party would win 250 seats in the ongoing State Assembly polls, since it would make major gains in the final sixth and seventh phases of polling.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Yadav maintained the SP would form the next government on its own.

''We will surely win between 30-35 seats in the first five phases of UP poll. In the last two phases, SP will corner 40-45 seats and manage majority comfortably,'' he added.

The SP talked about development and no other government in the state could boast about the level of progress achieved by the present Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, he said.

Mr Yadav claimed the Centre had provided only Rs 55 crore for roads in the state, while under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna, it was entitled for Rs 1,000 crore.

Holding the Election Commission responsible for low voting percentage, the minister noted there was virtual terror in the state for the EC and the voters were ''frightened.'' ''People are terrified at the sight of para military forces...the EC has been taking such harsh measures under the direction of the Centre,'' he said.

UNI