Uttar Pradesh polls: Akhilesh gets ready for bout with BJP, set to declare tie-up with Congress

LUCKNOW: With EC allotting the ‘cycle’ and Samajwadi Party to Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh is most likely to see a direct contest between the BJP and SP in the assembly elections. The UP chief minister is set to announce an alliance with the Congress, release his party’s manifesto and a new list of candidates in the next 48 hours.

Akhilesh will begin his campaign with public rallies in Agra and Aligarh on January 19. It is being closely observed whether his father Mulayam Singh Yadav will field his own candidates on all seats to harm Akhilesh’s chances or reach a compromise, given that the former’s position has been considerably weakened.

Soon after the EC decision, Akhilesh visited his father and was believed to have received ‘aashirwaad (blessings)’.


The CM later told his supporters, as per people close to Akhilesh, that the election will be fought and won “under Mulayam’s leadership” and “Netaji’s face was SP’s pehchaan”.

The CM is also said to have warned his supporters not to raise any slogans against his father and said ‘Mulayam Singh Yadav zindabad’ and ‘SP Zindabad’ slogans should be raised before his name. The CM later tweeted “Cycle chalti jayegi, aage badhti jayegi”, with a picture of him sitting with Mulayam.

Mulayam was banking on the cycle symbol being frozen. Earlier in the day before the EC verdict, Mulayam went to the SP office and told party workers that he will fight the UP polls against Akhilesh.

“He (Akhilesh) is not listening to me and has sent a message to the Muslims that he is ‘Muslim-Virodhi’. I am appealing to you to support me. Whatever symbol I get, help me form the next government in UP and I will work for the minorities,” Mulayam told party workers.

As soon as Mulayam left the office, Akhilesh supporters installed CM’s nameplate outside the Mulayam’s office that said Akhilesh was SP’s national president. Interestingly, Shivpal didn’t accompany Mulayam to the party office. Shivpal reached Mulayam’s house after the EC verdict, but left within minutes.