Lucknow, April 12 (IANS): Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the realisation of the strength of farmers had made the BJP government at the Centre scrap the three "black" farm laws.

Launching his election campaign from Pilibhit, he said the people of Pilibhit have made up their minds to defeat the BJP and the ruling party is scared.

"The faces of BJP people turn 'peela' (yellow) on hearing the name of Pilibhit," he said.

The SP President also attacked the BJP government over the issue of electoral bonds and demonetisation. "Tell me if this electoral bond and the demonetisation are not ways to turn black money into white. They have made all their black money into white," he alleged.

The Samajwadi Party has pitted Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar against Jitin Prasada of the BJP and Anis Ahmed of the BSP in this seat. Pilibhit, which has over 18 lakh voters, will go to polls in the first round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

The Samajwadi Party, Congress and All India Trinamool Congress are contesting the polls in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA alliance.