Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

&quot;The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority,&quot; he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town.

&quot;I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past,&quot; Modi said in his over hour-long speech.

&quot;You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin,&quot; Modi said.

The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP.

&quot;When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people,&quot; Modi said.

However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said.

On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that &quot;certain people&quot; will come out for campaigning.

&quot;But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes,&quot; Modi said.

Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own.

&quot;The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...,&quot; he said.

Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see &quot;125 crore Hindustanis&quot; in him.

He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country.

Speaking about the &quot;backwardness&quot; of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the &#39;aan, baan and shaan&#39; (pride of place) of the country.

&quot;It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don&#39;t have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished,&quot; Modi said.

&quot;During Pandit Nehru&#39;s time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach,&quot; Modi said.

Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru&#39;s) time itself. &quot;50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box,&quot; he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. &quot;After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory,&quot; Modi said.

Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about &#39;kaam bolta hai&#39; managed &quot;only 14 per cent success&quot; in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? &quot;What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?...

who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP,&quot; Modi said.

Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, &quot;Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?&quot; &quot;He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies,&quot; he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region.

He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate &quot;but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day&quot;.

Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, &quot;Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun.&quot; Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he &quot;goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails&quot;.

&quot;Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun,&quot; Modi asserted.

Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing &#39;Bahubali&#39; film, Modi referred to a character in it &#39;Katappa&#39; and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: &quot;&ldquo;Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali&rdquo;. &ldquo;In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police&rsquo;s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did.&quot;

(PTI)

Says the SP and BSP's new gameplan is to ensure no one gets a majority

Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. "The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority," he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town. "I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past," Modi said in his over hour-long speech. "You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin," Modi said. The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP. "When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people," Modi said. However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said. On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that "certain people" will come out for campaigning. "But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes," Modi said. Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own. "The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...," he said. Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see "125 crore Hindustanis" in him. He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country. Speaking about the "backwardness" of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the 'aan, baan and shaan' (pride of place) of the country. "It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don't have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished," Modi said. "During Pandit Nehru's time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach," Modi said. Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru's) time itself. "50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box," he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. "After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory," Modi said. Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about 'kaam bolta hai' managed "only 14 per cent success" in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? "What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?... who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP," Modi said. Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, "Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?" "He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies," he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region. He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate "but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day". Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, "Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun." Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he "goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails". "Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun," Modi asserted. Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing 'Bahubali' film, Modi referred to a character in it 'Katappa' and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: "“Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali”. “In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police’s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did." (PTI)

A sign of nervousness? PM Modi speaks of fractured mandate in UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi out-campaigned all-comers in the 2014 general election but, as he faces his biggest mid-term test, he is up against a rival determined to beat him at his own game.

In Uttar Pradesh his opponent, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, has been repackaged as a youthful and media-savvy go-getter who seeks to steal a unique selling point of Modi&#39;s - development.

&quot;I am taking it a bit beyond Modi: I work,&quot; Yadav told Reuters in an interview in Lucknow, capital of the state of 220 million that is holding the biggest democratic election anywhere in the world this year.

&quot;My work speaks for itself. Modi&#39;s empty promises do not,&quot; said the 43-year-old leader of the Samajwadi, or Socialist, Party.

Yadav entered the vast election, being held over the course of a month, as a narrow favourite: He had just emerged from a power struggle with his domineering father and struck a pre-poll alliance with the Indian National Congress.

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While Modi excels as a stump speaker who can deliver an hour-long address without notes, Akhilesh has sought to connect with the youth vote via new media, taking personal control over his social media accounts and doing a Facebook Live with one of India&#39;s best-known TV journalists.

He has even climbed on a bicycle - his party&#39;s symbol - for another prime-time interview that gave him a chance to showcase the newly landscaped riverfront in the state capital.

Yadav&#39;s campaign has been backed by his wife Dimple, a member of parliament, who has courted women voters and helped create an image as a political &#39;power couple&#39;.

Throughout, Yadav has stayed firmly on message. Asked about endemic crime, he says he has set up a new police hotline that is ensuring quicker response times.

On developing his poor state where incomes average less than $750 a year, he highlights his achievements in building an expressway to Agra, site of the Taj Mahal, and a new city metro in Lucknow.

Winning and losing

Yadav became the youngest-ever chief minister of Uttar Pradesh with a slim mandate, winning just 29 percent in the 2012 state poll.

But in the general election two years later he was swept away by a Modi &#39;wave&#39; as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 42 percent of the vote in the battleground state.

Yadav, who received a university education in Australia yet became typecast as the ineffectual scion of a political patriarch, decided he needed a makeover.

&quot;It was at this point Yadav took a cue from Modi&#39;s image as a technology-loving modern man,&quot; said R.K. Mishra, an independent political analyst in Lucknow.

Yadav commissioned the construction of a mansion behind his old party headquarters to operate as his campaign &quot;war room&quot;.

He met two dozen Indian and international political scientists, and roped in Harvard graduates and marketing gurus from Mumbai. They set up a big data operation - cloning the backroom setup used by Modi in his own rise to national power.

&quot;The recruitment brief was clear: Everyone working in the war room should be in their thirties and have family in Uttar Pradesh,&quot; said Aashish Yadav, a campaign manager who previously worked at BBC Media Action, a development charity.

Aashish Yadav manages a team of 100 young men and women who compose jingles as well as messages that are circulated via WhatsApp and community radio services. &quot;Modi&#39;s campaign looks jaded compared to our blitzkrieg,&quot; said Aashish.

Gangster rule

It&#39;s been a tough sell for a party that under founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh&#39;s father, was criticised for breakdown of law and order. Many resented corruption that favoured the Yadav community - a &quot;backward&quot; caste that makes up 9 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;Akhilesh had to dismantle the existing perception about himself and his party,&quot; said one close aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

By teaming up with Rahul Gandhi of Congress - another forty-something politician - Yadav hopes to prevail in the three-cornered contest with the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;There is a great deal of ease between the two leaders and this is making Modi nervous,&quot; said an aide to Gandhi, who is the son, grandson and great grandson of Indian prime ministers.

Pre-election polls put the Yadav-Gandhi alliance and the BJP in a close race, but no surveys are allowed during voting held over seven stages. Results are due on March 11.

Gandhi and Yadav have both turned for advice to Prashant Kishor, the strategist who stage-managed Modi&#39;s triumphant 2014 march on New Delhi.

Kishor later switched sides to help a similar opposition alliance defeat the BJP in Bihar, another big northern state, in late 2015. He now divides his time between advising Congress and Samajwadi.

The BJP&#39;s state leader in Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, dismisses the alliance as a fiasco and called the war room a poor imitation.

&quot;Yadav and Gandhi both lack imagination,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;Being Modi is different from being like Modi.&quot;&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister is seeking to steal a unique selling point of Modi's -- development

Prime Minister Narendra Modi out-campaigned all-comers in the 2014 general election but, as he faces his biggest mid-term test, he is up against a rival determined to beat him at his own game. In Uttar Pradesh his opponent, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, has been repackaged as a youthful and media-savvy go-getter who seeks to steal a unique selling point of Modi's - development. "I am taking it a bit beyond Modi: I work," Yadav told Reuters in an interview in Lucknow, capital of the state of 220 million that is holding the biggest democratic election anywhere in the world this year. "My work speaks for itself. Modi's empty promises do not," said the 43-year-old leader of the Samajwadi, or Socialist, Party. Yadav entered the vast election, being held over the course of a month, as a narrow favourite: He had just emerged from a power struggle with his domineering father and struck a pre-poll alliance with the Indian National Congress. While Modi excels as a stump speaker who can deliver an hour-long address without notes, Akhilesh has sought to connect with the youth vote via new media, taking personal control over his social media accounts and doing a Facebook Live with a TV journalist × While Modi excels as a stump speaker who can deliver an hour-long address without notes, Akhilesh has sought to connect with the youth vote via new media, taking personal control over his social media accounts and doing a Facebook Live with one of India's best-known TV journalists. He has even climbed on a bicycle - his party's symbol - for another prime-time interview that gave him a chance to showcase the newly landscaped riverfront in the state capital. Yadav's campaign has been backed by his wife Dimple, a member of parliament, who has courted women voters and helped create an image as a political 'power couple'. Throughout, Yadav has stayed firmly on message. Asked about endemic crime, he says he has set up a new police hotline that is ensuring quicker response times. On developing his poor state where incomes average less than $750 a year, he highlights his achievements in building an expressway to Agra, site of the Taj Mahal, and a new city metro in Lucknow. Winning and losing Yadav became the youngest-ever chief minister of Uttar Pradesh with a slim mandate, winning just 29 percent in the 2012 state poll. But in the general election two years later he was swept away by a Modi 'wave' as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 42 percent of the vote in the battleground state. Yadav, who received a university education in Australia yet became typecast as the ineffectual scion of a political patriarch, decided he needed a makeover. "It was at this point Yadav took a cue from Modi's image as a technology-loving modern man," said R.K. Mishra, an independent political analyst in Lucknow. Yadav commissioned the construction of a mansion behind his old party headquarters to operate as his campaign "war room". He met two dozen Indian and international political scientists, and roped in Harvard graduates and marketing gurus from Mumbai. They set up a big data operation - cloning the backroom setup used by Modi in his own rise to national power. "The recruitment brief was clear: Everyone working in the war room should be in their thirties and have family in Uttar Pradesh," said Aashish Yadav, a campaign manager who previously worked at BBC Media Action, a development charity. Aashish Yadav manages a team of 100 young men and women who compose jingles as well as messages that are circulated via WhatsApp and community radio services. "Modi's campaign looks jaded compared to our blitzkrieg," said Aashish. Gangster rule It's been a tough sell for a party that under founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh's father, was criticised for breakdown of law and order. Many resented corruption that favoured the Yadav community - a "backward" caste that makes up 9 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh. "Akhilesh had to dismantle the existing perception about himself and his party," said one close aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity. By teaming up with Rahul Gandhi of Congress - another forty-something politician - Yadav hopes to prevail in the three-cornered contest with the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. "There is a great deal of ease between the two leaders and this is making Modi nervous," said an aide to Gandhi, who is the son, grandson and great grandson of Indian prime ministers. Pre-election polls put the Yadav-Gandhi alliance and the BJP in a close race, but no surveys are allowed during voting held over seven stages. Results are due on March 11. Gandhi and Yadav have both turned for advice to Prashant Kishor, the strategist who stage-managed Modi's triumphant 2014 march on New Delhi. Kishor later switched sides to help a similar opposition alliance defeat the BJP in Bihar, another big northern state, in late 2015. He now divides his time between advising Congress and Samajwadi. The BJP's state leader in Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya, dismisses the alliance as a fiasco and called the war room a poor imitation. "Yadav and Gandhi both lack imagination," he told Reuters. "Being Modi is different from being like Modi." (Reuters)

UP elections: Akhilesh takes Modi on at his own game

In a fresh verbal exchange, Indian Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi today mocked at the &#39;donkey&#39; remark of Uttar Pradeh chief minister&nbsp;Akhilesh Yadav who responded by saying that the PM&nbsp;was indulging in petty talk despite holding the high post.

&quot;In elections, opponents criticise each other... Akhileshji, I can understand if you attack Modi and BJP but I am amused that you have attacked donkeys...Are you afraid of donkeys, that too these are thousands of kilometres away?&quot; Modi said.

He was responding to a remark by Akhilesh at a poll rally three days back in which he had said megastar Amitabh Bachchan should not campaign for donkeys as he was doing in a Gujarat government tourism advertisement.

&quot;Akhileshji, you might hate the donkeys of Gujarat but it was that very state which gave birth to Dayanand Saraswati, Mahatma Gandhi...And Lord Krishan chose to stay,&quot; Modi said. addressing BJP&#39;s Vijay Shanknaad rally in Bahraich.

&quot;The people of this country are my master, I take inspiration from the donkey because I work for people day and night...Donkeys are loyal to their master and work tirelessly even without food,&quot; the Prime Minister added.

While attacking Akhilesh, he said, &quot;I am amused that your casteist mentality is also having a reflection on animals too...You found donkeys so bad...It is natural as your government is so efficient that the entire government goes about looking for buffaloes when they go missing.&quot;

His reference was to the buffaloes of SP minister Azam Khan which had gone missing in Rampur and police went all out to track them down.

&quot;This is the pehchaan (identity) of your government but you are not aware that donkeys too give us inspiration if heart and mind is clear...We can also take that inspiration, it is loyal to the master and works as much as the master asks for and is very economical,&quot; he said.

&quot;It works even if it is ill, hungry or tired and completes the work...Akhileshji these 125 crore countrymen are my masters...I do all the work they ask me to do as I take inspiration from donkeys and take it with full pride,&quot; Modi said.

Elaborating, he said, &quot;Donkeys do not discriminate while carrying anything on its back...Whether it is a bag of sugar or bag of lime...(those who discriminate) are the ones who are neck deep in corruption.&quot;

Hours later, Akhilesh, while addressing an election meeting in Pechpedva, said, &quot;the Prime Minister is sitting on such a high post and indulging in such petty talk which does not suit him.&quot;

Taking a dig at Modi, he said, &quot;it seems he does not like staying in Delhi and is moving about all over UP...If he so desires, he can swap places with me.&quot;

He added, &quot;Piqued are only those who are faced with defeat...Only those who are left behind talk about the past.&quot;

On Modi&#39;s remark that he is an &quot;adopted son&quot; of UP, the Chief Minister said, &quot;PMji do not confuse our Uttar Pradesh... If you are the adopted son of UP, then we belong to this place...Who is going to adopt us&quot;.

On the prime minister&#39;s allegations that police stations are run by SP people, Akhilesh said he does not know that it is also run through UP-100.

&quot;We admit that there had been some shortcomings, but it will improve with UP-100 and the anomalies in the police working will be addressed,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

?At a poll rally three days back Yadav?had said that actor Amitabh Bachchan should not campaign for 'donkeys' as he was doing in a Gujarat government tourism advertisement

In a fresh verbal exchange, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today mocked at the 'donkey' remark of Uttar Pradeh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav who responded by saying that the PM was indulging in petty talk despite holding the high post. "In elections, opponents criticise each other... Akhileshji, I can understand if you attack Modi and BJP but I am amused that you have attacked donkeys...Are you afraid of donkeys, that too these are thousands of kilometres away?" Modi said. He was responding to a remark by Akhilesh at a poll rally three days back in which he had said megastar Amitabh Bachchan should not campaign for donkeys as he was doing in a Gujarat government tourism advertisement. "Akhileshji, you might hate the donkeys of Gujarat but it was that very state which gave birth to Dayanand Saraswati, Mahatma Gandhi...And Lord Krishan chose to stay," Modi said. addressing BJP's Vijay Shanknaad rally in Bahraich. "The people of this country are my master, I take inspiration from the donkey because I work for people day and night...Donkeys are loyal to their master and work tirelessly even without food," the Prime Minister added. While attacking Akhilesh, he said, "I am amused that your casteist mentality is also having a reflection on animals too...You found donkeys so bad...It is natural as your government is so efficient that the entire government goes about looking for buffaloes when they go missing." His reference was to the buffaloes of SP minister Azam Khan which had gone missing in Rampur and police went all out to track them down. "This is the pehchaan (identity) of your government but you are not aware that donkeys too give us inspiration if heart and mind is clear...We can also take that inspiration, it is loyal to the master and works as much as the master asks for and is very economical," he said. "It works even if it is ill, hungry or tired and completes the work...Akhileshji these 125 crore countrymen are my masters...I do all the work they ask me to do as I take inspiration from donkeys and take it with full pride," Modi said. Elaborating, he said, "Donkeys do not discriminate while carrying anything on its back...Whether it is a bag of sugar or bag of lime...(those who discriminate) are the ones who are neck deep in corruption." Hours later, Akhilesh, while addressing an election meeting in Pechpedva, said, "the Prime Minister is sitting on such a high post and indulging in such petty talk which does not suit him." Taking a dig at Modi, he said, "it seems he does not like staying in Delhi and is moving about all over UP...If he so desires, he can swap places with me." He added, "Piqued are only those who are faced with defeat...Only those who are left behind talk about the past." On Modi's remark that he is an "adopted son" of UP, the Chief Minister said, "PMji do not confuse our Uttar Pradesh... If you are the adopted son of UP, then we belong to this place...Who is going to adopt us". On the prime minister's allegations that police stations are run by SP people, Akhilesh said he does not know that it is also run through UP-100. "We admit that there had been some shortcomings, but it will improve with UP-100 and the anomalies in the police working will be addressed," he said. (PTI)

India: Modi mocks Akhilesh Yadav for 'donkey' remark, Yadav says PM indulging in 'petty talk'

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was &quot;no question&quot; of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;as it is a part of its poll strategy.

Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, &quot;Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party).&quot;

A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow.&nbsp;

In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati&#39;s BSP quite easily.

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They will ask your religion &amp; caste first, if that doesn&#39;t seem favourable to them, they won&#39;t give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura <a href="https://t.co/zSOVBahTNV">pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV</a>
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The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with &quot;full majority&quot;.

He said it was &quot;difficult to guess&quot; who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a &quot;triangular contest&quot; in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP.

Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation.

Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring &quot;acche din&quot; (good days) back.

&nbsp;

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Due to some reasons, I couldn&#39;t be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/DzTqwvfuwG">pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG</a>
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Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, &amp; I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter <a href="https://t.co/B3XIIQP3RB">pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB</a>
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At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation.

&quot;You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said.

On the SP&#39;s seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, &quot;If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last.&quot;

After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district.

&nbsp;

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Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav <a href="https://t.co/1TM4d1o2Xv">pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv</a>
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Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati

On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by &quot;sources&quot; that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources,&quot; Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district.

&quot;You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state,&quot; the BSP chief declared.

She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat&#39;s Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow.

&quot;Now the people will refer to the BJP as &#39;party of frauds&#39; instead of the &#39;party of people&#39; not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country,&quot; Mayawati said in Faizabad.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah is confident of his party's win in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa but he is unclear about the outcome in Punjab

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was "no question" of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh as it is a part of its poll strategy. Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, "Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)." A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP quite easily. They will ask your religion & caste first, if that doesn't seem favourable to them, they won't give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority". He said it was "difficult to guess" who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a "triangular contest" in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP. Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation. Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring "acche din" (good days) back. Due to some reasons, I couldn't be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, & I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation. "You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?," Akhilesh Yadav said. On the SP's seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, "If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last." After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now," Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district. Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by "sources" that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh. "If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources," Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district. "You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state," the BSP chief declared. She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat's Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow. "Now the people will refer to the BJP as 'party of frauds' instead of the 'party of people' not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country," Mayawati said in Faizabad. (WION with inputs from agencies)

No question of post-poll alliance with BSP or any party: BJP president Amit Shah

India&#39;s largest state Uttar Pradesh, which is in the midst of a longdrawn local&nbsp;elections, morphed into a battleground on Sunday as contenders adopted a no&nbsp;holds barred policy while attacking each other.

While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party, excoriated the ruling Samajwadi Party and its chief minister for being weak, the prepoll alliance of SP and the Congress&nbsp;attacked the BJP for paralysing the citizens due to demonetisation.

Addressing an election campaign in an Uttar Pradesh town Fatehpura, Prime Minister Modi ripped into the SP over religious partisanship, deteriorating law and order and alliance forged with the Congress.

Modi indirectly said the Akhilesh Yadav administration was more keen on appeasing the Muslims.&nbsp;

&quot;If there is electricity during Ramzan (an Islamic&nbsp;festival of fasting), there should be electricity during Diwali (Hindu festival of lights) too,&quot; he said, though the original statement was made in Hindi.

He also spoke about how police were being forced to take orders from the ruling party, calling it a &#39;goondaraj&#39; (the government of the powerful).

&quot;Police stations have become Samajwadi Pary office. Why is the policing system so inefficient in the state?&quot; Modi asked to the large crowd that massed at his rally.

He also looked at the SP-Congress alliance with suspicion, saying that the ruling party of Uttar Pradesh had shed its philosophy by tying up with a party that has &quot;looted&quot; the country.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav rubbished all negative talks about the alliance on Sunday, saying that it is &quot;not an alliance of two parties but an alliance of two young politicians&quot; determined to improve the state.

After casting his vote in Saifai, Akhilesh said, &quot;The voters have made up their mind in favour of the SP-Congress alliance.&quot;

SP leader and Akhilesh&#39;s uncle Shivpal Yadav complained that his supporters were attacked by the &quot;political opponents&quot; in his Jaswantnagar constituency.

On Saturday, Congress&#39; Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party&#39;s Akhilesh Yadav attacked BJP&#39;s Modi and said his &quot;smile had evaporated&quot; at the news of their alliance.

Using a reference from a popular Hindi film &#39;Sholay&#39;, Gandhi called Modi as the villain of the piece -- Gabbar Singh.&nbsp;

He also accused Modi of doing little to alleviate the crippling debts of farmers.

&quot;Now he (Modi)&nbsp;is saying let BJP win and he will get the loans waived. Modiji you are the prime minister. You don&#39;t have to win elections to waive the debts,&quot; he said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the third phase of the elections is under way today (February 20) as more than 800 candidates contest 69 assembly seats.

(WION)

BJP's Narendra Modi called SP's reign as being ineffective, while the SP-Congress combo dished out equally blistering attacks

India's largest state Uttar Pradesh, which is in the midst of a longdrawn local elections, morphed into a battleground on Sunday as contenders adopted a no holds barred policy while attacking each other. While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party, excoriated the ruling Samajwadi Party and its chief minister for being weak, the prepoll alliance of SP and the Congress attacked the BJP for paralysing the citizens due to demonetisation. Addressing an election campaign in an Uttar Pradesh town Fatehpura, Prime Minister Modi ripped into the SP over religious partisanship, deteriorating law and order and alliance forged with the Congress. Modi indirectly said the Akhilesh Yadav administration was more keen on appeasing the Muslims. "If there is electricity during Ramzan (an Islamic festival of fasting), there should be electricity during Diwali (Hindu festival of lights) too," he said, though the original statement was made in Hindi. He also spoke about how police were being forced to take orders from the ruling party, calling it a 'goondaraj' (the government of the powerful). "Police stations have become Samajwadi Pary office. Why is the policing system so inefficient in the state?" Modi asked to the large crowd that massed at his rally. He also looked at the SP-Congress alliance with suspicion, saying that the ruling party of Uttar Pradesh had shed its philosophy by tying up with a party that has "looted" the country. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav rubbished all negative talks about the alliance on Sunday, saying that it is "not an alliance of two parties but an alliance of two young politicians" determined to improve the state. After casting his vote in Saifai, Akhilesh said, "The voters have made up their mind in favour of the SP-Congress alliance." SP leader and Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Yadav complained that his supporters were attacked by the "political opponents" in his Jaswantnagar constituency. On Saturday, Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav attacked BJP's Modi and said his "smile had evaporated" at the news of their alliance. Using a reference from a popular Hindi film 'Sholay', Gandhi called Modi as the villain of the piece -- Gabbar Singh. He also accused Modi of doing little to alleviate the crippling debts of farmers. "Now he (Modi) is saying let BJP win and he will get the loans waived. Modiji you are the prime minister. You don't have to win elections to waive the debts," he said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the third phase of the elections is under way today (February 20) as more than 800 candidates contest 69 assembly seats. (WION)

Uttar Pradesh elections: Contenders take jibes at each other as campaign rhetoric raises stakes

By Amit Shah &amp; Manan Kumar

Amidst the heady mix of galouti kebabs, biryani and politics, Awadh is savouring the attention of every political partiy in the battle for Uttar Pradesh.

It is in this region, most of which goes to the polls in the third phase of the UP election on Sunday, that the BJP is hoping to weaken the Samajwadi Party (SP), which had swept it in 2012, winning 55 of the 69 seats.

As polling neared, all four parties &mdash; SP, BJP, BSP and Congress &mdash; campaigned aggressively in the region, which falls in the central part of the state. &ldquo;All parties were reaching out combatively. They are giving either fuel for motorbikes or Rs 100, or both,&rdquo; said Vinay Yadav, a taxi driver who has been travelling in the region.

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The BJP, which is confident of having &ldquo;done well&rdquo; in the first two phases in the western parts of UP, is pinning its hopes on a ripple effect in the rest of the state. The other calculation of the party is that it has managed to woo the non-Yadav OBCs like the Kurmis, Kushwahas and Mauryas. The region has a high concentration of backward communities, apart from Brahmins and Rajputs, the upper-caste communities that have been the BJP&rsquo;s traditional supporters.

Admitting that Awadh had been a major challenge for the BJP because of the caste composition of the region, a party leader said the scenario had changed after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 when the OBCs and even some Scheduled Castes voted for it. The BJP is counting on two factors &mdash; Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s rallies and giving tickets to a large number of OBCs. Modi held two rallies in a day, in Barabanki and Hardoi, this week, besides in Kannauj, Dimple Yadav&rsquo;s Lok Sabha seat.

&ldquo;The situation has now changed. We have the support of the OBCs,&rdquo; said state BJP vice-president JPS Rathore.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav faces a bigger challenge in Awadh. He faces the task of retaining the SP&rsquo;s tally of 2012, when it had wiped out the BJP and BSP in the region under the leadership of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP, whose strongholds go to polls in this phase, had swept it in the last Assembly polls, despite a lower presence of its Yadav support base. BSP had won six seats and BJP five.

The Modi-versus-Akhilesh debate has dominated the election scenario in Awadh, which could turn out to be a make-or-break region for both parties. Modi, who is the BJP&rsquo;s strongest vote-puller in a battle without a chief ministerial face, underlined the fact that he was an MP from the state and described himself as UP&rsquo;s &lsquo;adopted son&rsquo;.

Meanwhile, BSP supremo Mayawati has promised a separate Bundelkhand to dent the SP&rsquo;s bastion. Part of the Bundelkhand region, a parched region that falls at the bottom of all social indicators, overlaps the Assembly constituencies that are going to polls in the third phase. Addressing rallies on Saturday near Unnao and Etawah, Mayawati also raised the pitch of the campaign by declaring that if her party came to power, it will finish the RSS in UP.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The Awadh region, which goes to the polls today, was swept by the SP in 2012. This time around, the BJP believes things will be different

By Amit Shah & Manan Kumar Amidst the heady mix of galouti kebabs, biryani and politics, Awadh is savouring the attention of every political partiy in the battle for Uttar Pradesh. It is in this region, most of which goes to the polls in the third phase of the UP election on Sunday, that the BJP is hoping to weaken the Samajwadi Party (SP), which had swept it in 2012, winning 55 of the 69 seats. As polling neared, all four parties — SP, BJP, BSP and Congress — campaigned aggressively in the region, which falls in the central part of the state. “All parties were reaching out combatively. They are giving either fuel for motorbikes or Rs 100, or both,” said Vinay Yadav, a taxi driver who has been travelling in the region. The Modi-versus-Akhilesh debate has dominated the election scenario in Awadh, which could turn out to be a make-or-break region for both parties × The BJP, which is confident of having “done well” in the first two phases in the western parts of UP, is pinning its hopes on a ripple effect in the rest of the state. The other calculation of the party is that it has managed to woo the non-Yadav OBCs like the Kurmis, Kushwahas and Mauryas. The region has a high concentration of backward communities, apart from Brahmins and Rajputs, the upper-caste communities that have been the BJP’s traditional supporters. Admitting that Awadh had been a major challenge for the BJP because of the caste composition of the region, a party leader said the scenario had changed after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 when the OBCs and even some Scheduled Castes voted for it. The BJP is counting on two factors — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies and giving tickets to a large number of OBCs. Modi held two rallies in a day, in Barabanki and Hardoi, this week, besides in Kannauj, Dimple Yadav’s Lok Sabha seat. “The situation has now changed. We have the support of the OBCs,” said state BJP vice-president JPS Rathore. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav faces a bigger challenge in Awadh. He faces the task of retaining the SP’s tally of 2012, when it had wiped out the BJP and BSP in the region under the leadership of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP, whose strongholds go to polls in this phase, had swept it in the last Assembly polls, despite a lower presence of its Yadav support base. BSP had won six seats and BJP five. The Modi-versus-Akhilesh debate has dominated the election scenario in Awadh, which could turn out to be a make-or-break region for both parties. Modi, who is the BJP’s strongest vote-puller in a battle without a chief ministerial face, underlined the fact that he was an MP from the state and described himself as UP’s ‘adopted son’. Meanwhile, BSP supremo Mayawati has promised a separate Bundelkhand to dent the SP’s bastion. Part of the Bundelkhand region, a parched region that falls at the bottom of all social indicators, overlaps the Assembly constituencies that are going to polls in the third phase. Addressing rallies on Saturday near Unnao and Etawah, Mayawati also raised the pitch of the campaign by declaring that if her party came to power, it will finish the RSS in UP. (This report first appeared in DNA)

UP elections, phase 3: BJP takes battle to Samajwadi Party stronghold

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state.

The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of &quot;rape and murder&quot;.

&quot;It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them,&quot; BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He was referring&nbsp;to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India&#39;s top court.

&quot;Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati&#39;s shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women&#39;s safety from him. It&#39;s shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh,&quot; BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI.

Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation

BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the &quot;bad shape of law-and-order&quot; in the state at a poll rally in the state.

She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav&#39;s brother Shivpal Yadav was &quot;working internally&quot; to &quot;cut the votes&quot; of that party.

Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for &quot;overburdening&quot; the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy.

&quot;The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election,&quot; Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi.

Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi&#39;s &quot;adopted son&quot; remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their &quot;own daughter&quot; rather than the &quot;adopted son&quot;.aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were &quot;fed up&quot; with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre.

Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav

Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the&nbsp;Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was&nbsp;their only talking point during their poll campaigns.

&quot;Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else,&quot; the Uttar Pradesh chief minister&nbsp;told an election meeting in the state&#39;s Banda city.

He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state.

Citing&nbsp;the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh&nbsp;appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past.

He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues.&nbsp;He was&nbsp;reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister.

&quot;Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated &#39;raksha bandhan&#39; earlier too with BJP...May be my &#39;buaji&#39; (aunt) can side with them once again,&quot; he said while referring to Mayawati.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The party was referring to Samajwadi Party and Congress' support for Gayatri Prajapati, a minister accused of rape

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state. The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of "rape and murder". "It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. He was referring to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India's top court. "Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati's shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women's safety from him. It's shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI. Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the "bad shape of law-and-order" in the state at a poll rally in the state. She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav was "working internally" to "cut the votes" of that party. Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "overburdening" the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy. "The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election," Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi. Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's "adopted son" remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their "own daughter" rather than the "adopted son".aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were "fed up" with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre. Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was their only talking point during their poll campaigns. "Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister told an election meeting in the state's Banda city. He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state. Citing the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past. He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues. He was reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister. "Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated 'raksha bandhan' earlier too with BJP...May be my 'buaji' (aunt) can side with them once again," he said while referring to Mayawati. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UP election round-up: BJP slams Priyanka, Akhilesh for backing 'criminals'

Priyanka Gandhi finally broke her silence in her usual style on Friday in Rae Bareli. She directly took on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In her short speech all barbs were reserved for the Prime Minister. She said, &quot;Uttar Pradesh anyways has two sons in Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, it doesn&rsquo;t need to adopt a third for development.&rdquo;&nbsp;

She further focused on the insider and outsider theme of the alliance by saying that Prime Minister is an outsider and said that Uttar Pradesh has enough talent for new leadership to emerge and doesn&rsquo;t need an outsider, referring to the Prime Minister.

She also attacked Prime Minister on the issue of demonetisation. She said that demonetisation has actually brought misery rather than improving the situation of the poor.&nbsp;

She linked demonetisation with the larger constituency of women as it created problems for them by wiping away their savings and making them all stand in long queues. &nbsp;Speaking at Maharajganj, Priyanka Gandhi said, &ldquo;PM always speaks to women in categories of sister, mother or daughter. Not as a person. It is not correct.&rdquo;

Earlier in the day, she chose to meet Ajay Pal Singh, Aditi Singh and other Congress candidates in privacy on the logistics of elections. Sources close to Priyanka Gandhi confirmed to WION that Priyanka is upset with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for breaking his word on campaigning in Gandhi&rsquo;s home turf and especially on seats which are witnessing friendly fights.&nbsp;

The fact is that despite an assurance, Akhilesh campaigned in Sereni constituency for the SP candidate who is pitted against Congress. Now the word is that Akhilesh may also campaign in Unchahaar from where Congress party&rsquo;s candidate Ajay Pal is contesting.

Sources in the meeting held by Priyanka Gandhi confirmed that she is open to the proposal of campaigning in last three days of the election.&nbsp;

The local Congress unit is also keeping an eye on Akhilesh Yadav&rsquo;s tentative programme on February 20 in Unchahar segment. In case the Chief Minister confirms the programme, it will create political elbow room for the Congress to go out for an all out aggressive campaign. As of now Priyanka doesn&rsquo;t want to rock the boat. When asked in the close interaction at Bhu mein mau rest house about the recent development she said &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s wait and watch&rdquo;.

(WION)

She is reportedly unhappy with Akhilesh's campaigning in Gandhi's home turf of Rae Bareli

Priyanka Gandhi finally broke her silence in her usual style on Friday in Rae Bareli. She directly took on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In her short speech all barbs were reserved for the Prime Minister. She said, "Uttar Pradesh anyways has two sons in Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, it doesn’t need to adopt a third for development.” She further focused on the insider and outsider theme of the alliance by saying that Prime Minister is an outsider and said that Uttar Pradesh has enough talent for new leadership to emerge and doesn’t need an outsider, referring to the Prime Minister. She also attacked Prime Minister on the issue of demonetisation. She said that demonetisation has actually brought misery rather than improving the situation of the poor. She linked demonetisation with the larger constituency of women as it created problems for them by wiping away their savings and making them all stand in long queues. Speaking at Maharajganj, Priyanka Gandhi said, “PM always speaks to women in categories of sister, mother or daughter. Not as a person. It is not correct.” Earlier in the day, she chose to meet Ajay Pal Singh, Aditi Singh and other Congress candidates in privacy on the logistics of elections. Sources close to Priyanka Gandhi confirmed to WION that Priyanka is upset with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for breaking his word on campaigning in Gandhi’s home turf and especially on seats which are witnessing friendly fights. The fact is that despite an assurance, Akhilesh campaigned in Sereni constituency for the SP candidate who is pitted against Congress. Now the word is that Akhilesh may also campaign in Unchahaar from where Congress party’s candidate Ajay Pal is contesting. Sources in the meeting held by Priyanka Gandhi confirmed that she is open to the proposal of campaigning in last three days of the election. The local Congress unit is also keeping an eye on Akhilesh Yadav’s tentative programme on February 20 in Unchahar segment. In case the Chief Minister confirms the programme, it will create political elbow room for the Congress to go out for an all out aggressive campaign. As of now Priyanka doesn’t want to rock the boat. When asked in the close interaction at Bhu mein mau rest house about the recent development she said “Let’s wait and watch”. (WION)

UP Assembly polls: Priyanka Gandhi braces for next move by Akhilesh, all set to campaign

Sudhir Chaudhary interviews Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav during the all-important Uttar Pradesh election

This interview has been translated from the original Hindi, and lightly edited for length: By Sudhir Chaudhary Sudhir Chaudhary: If you believe that "kaam bolta hai" ("your work speaks for itself") and you will form a government, what was the point of a coalition with Congress? This shows your weakness... Akhilesh Yadav: Just to eradicate confusion about whether Samajwadi Party (SP) will form a government or not, this coalition was done. And I can say that both parties in the coalition government will win the election. If I contested alone, I would have won 200-250 seats, but now the coalition government will win around 300 seats. Sudhir: Why are you being greedy for 300 seats? 250 is enough for you. I ask because, as I said, you and your party didn't have faith in yourself to win elections... Akhilesh: I did this so that the confusion can be eradicated, and now nobody will have confusion in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Whether we will win or not, the way Uttar Pradesh experienced the first phase election now it is confirmed - SP and Congress will win the elections. Sudhir: Congress party today is just a small party, they won only 44 seats in Lok Sabha elections and they have just seven per cent vote share in UP, and you have given 105 seats to this party. This is an example that shows you are either confused or not sure about your victory. Akhilesh: Politics is a big game, but if you want good friendship you need to have heart. I would have bargained with Congress, but I tried. That friendship should be strong. Sudhir: Who is more of a miser among you? Akhilesh: I will not call this miser, we both got equal share. At least we established a strong bond. Sudhir: But do you think Rahul and you can be good friends? The only one common thing you share is that you both are in politics. Akhilesh: I say its a youth coalition, coming together as a new idea and new development in UP, at least Rahul thinks UP should change its motto towards development. Sudhir: So what do you think how Rahul Gandhi's opinion changed suddenly about you? Akhilesh: Yes there was a motto against me, but that motto can be changed. 27 years of social well-being, It happened in the past, I don't want to consider that. And for long term friendships, we need to move ahead. Sudhir: See this report...what Rahul said about you... Akhilesh: These lines were said in absence of a coalition government, he (Rahul) said that Akhilesh failed, but now I believe I will pass. Sudhir: Who has a bigger role in coalition government during a press conference? Rahul's body language was as if he was your elder brother...do you agree? Akhilesh: In politics there are no such terms like junior or senior. In coming press conferences there will be no such attitude between us. Both are equal and we need to consider them as a national party, since Independence many times they formed governments. We accept the fact. Sudhir: So you were waiting for the moment when Congress would be weakest, and you will adopt them. Akhilesh: You never know when and what situation comes up, and sometimes situations lead to conclusions. So maybe Congress and Samajwadi Party wanted a coalition, so it happened in UP. Sudhir: A viral joke going around now is: "Couples either come from heaven or form due to fear of Modi." Akhilesh: I was listening to BJP candidates and it seems they are more afraid. And I think if blood pressure due to fear...it's of BJP. My blood pressure is still normal. It's just phase-1 in Uttar Pradesh. The majority of voters didn't vote yet, so we are not afraid of any party. This coalition is of youth and new development goals. Sudhir: BJP thinks that this duo is over-aged, they call it ''youth" but they are actually are over age. Akhilesh: I have met several politicians who are 75-85. Still, they call themselves "youth". It hardly matters whatever is our age. But those commenting on this, at least we are younger than them. Sudhir: Don't you think 105 seats is a lot and you wasted this amount of seats? If you had contested alone or would have contested with someone else then maybe you could win in a better way. Akhilesh: Now I don't think this way...whether it's a loss or gain, but now will look forward, and will contest responsibly with all our party candidates. Sudhir: There was a confusion between you and Rahul about who will contest from Amethi, because Congress is the winning party from that constituency. Are you ready to compromise with him on this? Akhilesh: I tried my best to give them seats from different constituencies from wherever they can win...still Samajwadi Party is contesting from those constituencies. Sudhir: Like you have your MLA Prajapati who is contesting from Amethi? Akhilesh: Prajapati is contesting from Amethi. Rakesh, the second sitting MLA, is also contesting elections. In fact, we have Devendraji who is contesting from Rae Bareli. Manoj Pandey is also contesting. I feel that during coalition governments, someone or the other has to face the consequences. Sudhir: Clearly you feel Congress will fail in key constituencies, so Samajwadi Party is contesting from those constituencies. Akhilesh: They removed some candidates, we removed some candidates. The picture will be clearer soon. Sudhir: How is your experience with Rahul Gandhi till now? I was looking through the pictures and videos and while you both were contesting there were electric wires you had to wade through during a rally.... Akhilesh: We came across wires and poles, but at least we were safe and sometimes you need to follow the route your worker's decide...and it's good to visit such localities and it's a matter of experience for politicians. Sudhir: What you think Rahul Gandhi will learn from you in this election? Akhilesh: I will not teach him anything, but as politicians, we move ahead as situations come up, events take place, this makes a politician an experienced person. Sudhir: Let's assume you win this election and everything goes well. So in 2019, will you again contest again with Rahul? Akhilesh: Not yet planned for 2019, but after winning this election situation will change. And what situation will be there in 2019, we will see. Sudhir: You are young. If you win the election for the second time and get a majority, you will establish yourself as a young national leader, and many people assume that this election is important for 2019, and it is a possibility that your name will come up for the PM candidature. Akhilesh: I don't dream very big, my dream is limited only to Uttar Pradesh. If people will give me a chance I will work. This led to Lucknow expressway, and want to extend it to Gazipur and Baliya. As soon as possible this work will get done. We will set market and industries near the expressway, so that skill development for youth and employment can be achieved. Villages should get 24x7 electricity, that's my big dream. Who will stay in Lucknow. I'll last longer than those who stay in Delhi.... Sudhir: It also means Rahul Gandhi should not feel insecure, and if the situation arrives, you will not create any trouble for him. You will stay happy here in Lucknow... Akhilesh: Like I said I don't dream big, at least I believe whosoever stays away from Delhi, lasts longer and will always be happy...I am not in a rush to move to Delhi. Sudhir: But it's a dream for Congress. Akhilesh: If Congress has a dream they need to take a responsible decision because it's a big dream to achieve. Sudhir: I asked this because once Netaji (Mulayam Singh) almost reached there. But some people didn't let him become the PM, so it's a possibility that his son might become.... Akhilesh: Right now he is a politician, and I believe after this election Netaji will be proud, and right now my priority is that 20-25 days of election is left. Samajwadi should win with a majority, and after that what decision we should take will be considered later... Sudhir: Who is your competitor? Akhilesh: I can say that Samajwadi Party is heading, we are cyclists, we balance our handle and go with a good speed. And we do not consider who is behind us... Sudhir: Mulayam Singh never favoured you for this coalition, but still you did it...he might have felt bad. Akhilesh: I tried to be under Netaji, and coalition was the need of the hour, that's why it happened, so that confusion persists. Sudhir: Till now Mulayam Singh hasn't supported you on this... Akhilesh: For whosoever he might contest they are part of Samajwadi Party only. Sudhir: But he is only supporting Shiv Pal and not supporting anyone. Akhilesh: We went to Jaswant Nagar, Bhartana, Lucknow, and I feel with whomsoever he went they all are Samajawadi candidates. He is also saying SP should win. So this is a blessing for the whole party. Sudhir: What kind of coalition is this where Netaji is not active, Sonia Gandhi is not active, Priyanka is not active? It seems everything is totally upon your shoulders... Akhilesh: See how much they trust us that this duo will change UP politics. Sudhir: What have you done till now regarding Netaji's support? Even if you win the election without his support, what's the whole point of it? Akhilesh: There is a lot of time in this...But nobody wants Netaji to be disappointed. Sudhir: But he is... Akhilesh: I feel he is supporting the party, and wherever he is going, he is in favour of the party Sudhir: It's been a long time, still this question arises: when there was a dispute going on in your family, many people used to say it was planned. "Netaji wants to make his son an undisputed leader, and the Samajwadi symbol that is the cycle should go in your favour and that's why it was done". I ask that you answer honestly, was it planned? Akhilesh: What was my situation nobody will know .. and if I talk about people's perception, family drama or planned, everything is wrong as people were angry. But the majority of the party is in my favour. Sudhir: Though we belong to that country where Shrawan Kumar was born, so for any son it is difficult to go against his father ...hardly matters whether it is for the party's sake. As a son, how difficult was it for you to go against your father? Akhilesh: Netaji and party members wanted the party to do well and move ahead towards progress, and according to the situation at that time, my decision was right. But it was for party's sake. If we form a government, Netaji will be very happy. Sudhir: I still remember it was the night of December 31, an occasion people usually celebrate. For you, how was it? Akhilesh: I think it's not a topic for discussion...maybe after elections we can discuss it, because keeping everything aside we want support from people. We should get a chance... Sudhir: Any person who would be in your situation, who is chief minister and doesn't know whether he will continue or not, will do lots of planning. Maybe you are planning for UP, but your wife might be busy deciding which packer and mover should be booked, where to shift next time. Have you planned where you will shift to after this? Akhilesh: My party members know that I don't have much with me. Even if the situation arises I don't need any packer and mover to relocate. And I know people will support Samajwadi Party, and you will see me here again after March 11. I am thinking what else I should bring here after March 11. Sudhir: We build highways...you made us count your achievements, but what about law and order? And still, women are afraid to go out alone in UP. Maybe you deny the fact but Uttar Pradesh is on top in crime, you failed in that aspect... Akhilesh: Anyone accusing me should at least bring reports or facts containing data about each state, not talk about incidents. They should also think and consider other states where incidents also happen. We have worked for law and order. For example, we have given 100 number service, the opposition doesn't have goals for development. This is a sign of failure. Sudhir: Can you swear that women are safe in UP? Akhilesh: We are trying to improve the situation. The police should work effectively, this goal was given to us... Sudhir: Jungle raj...complete lawlessness...rule of the gun are used for UP NCRB data. At 12.7, UP is more notorious than Bihar. Akhilesh: I am saying you should consider stats of different states.It should be per lakh (per 100,000). Sudhir: Yadav title is dominating the UP services. Akhilesh: This is old news...report was sent to the governor regarding this. If you say why mostly people dying are Yadavs? Sudhir: On national perspective Uttar Pradesh lags behind many states including Rajasthan, Orissa, West Bengal and Jharkhand. In GDP UP also lags behind..... Akhilesh: Mostly awards are won by Uttar Pradesh, including IT sector, forest cover, Guinness Book of World Record for tree plantation. Nutrition mission run by SP. We are No-1 in sugarcane plantation and sugar manufacturing, top in potato production. We have made India's largest expressway... Sudhir: But when rape happens on an expressway that's an issue... Akhilesh: We have police check-points every 30 kilometres on the expressway...you can take it on record Sudhir: Why does the media love you so much... Akhilesh: I don't own a share, and I guess you understand better how channels run...incidents in UP make it to "breaking news", but in other states it does not... Sudhir: What will you change if you become CM again? Akhilesh: If SP forms the government, UP will be on top in every sector, and will create skill development centres, will create mandi's, we have allotted land to Baba Ramdev. I will support whoever will come here in food processing... Sudhir: Let's talk about your opposition. They say you will not form the government... Akhilesh: They are very disappointed because in the first phase they didn't have major support of the people, and they know the truth and voters too know the truth. That's why they are accusing us. They should first talk about their work... Sudhir: Do you think this election totally depends upon demonitisation? Akhilesh: People vote in every election. During Lok Sabha elections, people considered central goals. We got less seats because BJP got BSP support, and also many young voters went with the BJP keeping in mind that government will make progress in many issues. Demonitisation was a desperate move because people faced challenges. Sudhir: Will demonitisation help? Akhilesh: Peole should know and understand what corruption means. Money is not judged by colour, it's just transactions which are black, and people who faced challenges will again stand in line and will vote against BJP. Sudhir: What is brand Akhilesh? People say it's your golden period. Akhilesh: I'm confident that if Samajwadi Party will experience a golden period, we will win. Sudhir: What will be the effect on presidential election due to this election? Akhilesh: UP is the largest state, the most populous state. I think we will have an important vote in the presidential elections. Sudhir: Do you have any candidate for presidential elections? Akhilesh: We will think after March 11... Sudhir: How do you feel when your brother's picture gets published in newspapers, driving a five crore ($740,000) car. Akhilesh: He is doing a business, and if he is earning well and buying a car, it hardly matters to us. It's not affecting the ethics of the Samajwadi Party. We are moving ahead now and giving smartphones, 1.4 lakhs (140,000) registrations have been done... Sudhir: Rahul and you both have been called "Sultan" and "Tipu", respectively: Would you like to comment on it? Akhilesh: Our duo will work together towards progress and will bring in new change and both of us will stand together... (WION)

No junior or senior, Congress and SP are equal partners, says UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav

Clamour for Priyanka Gandhi to campaign in Raebareli and in Amethi has increased as incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seems to have broken mutual understanding between the Gandhi&rsquo;s and Yadav&rsquo;s in the family pocket borough. Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Devendra Pratap Singh against the Congress candidate Ashok Singh in Sereni on Wednesday.

Sources in the Raebareli Congress&nbsp;say that it was because of a friendly fight in four&nbsp;constituencies&nbsp;that the contest was kept centred around workers only. But now with Akhilesh&rsquo;s visit, the game has changed. A close aide of the Gandhi family, and also a Congress Secretary, Kishori Lal, admitted there is tremendous pressure from the candidates to organise rallies for Priyanka Gandhi. He also said that last time around they over-exposed her, which they will be careful not to do&nbsp;in the current elections. &ldquo;It was an excess from our part. We don&rsquo;t want Priyanka Gandhi to do an aggressive campaign in the constituency. She is our senior leader,&rdquo; said Kishori Lal. But he remains hopeful that Priyanka would come to the constituency. &nbsp;

Congress sources confirmed to WION that a fresh proposal would be sent to Priyanka Gandhi by Wednesday night or Thursday morning to spare one&nbsp;or two&nbsp;days in Raebareli where campaiging&nbsp;ends on February 21. It would be proposed to Priyanka that she take&nbsp;five meetings consisting of booth committee members ranging between 3000-4000 people so that the message goes out that Congress has not given up seats like Sereni and Unchahar in Raebareli. &nbsp;

Congress is witnessing friendly fight with SP on two seats each in Raebareli and Amethi. In Unchhar, Congress candidate Ajay Pal Singh is pitched against SP candidate Mohit Pandey who wants Mulayum Singh Yadav to campaign in the constituency. In Amethi Amita Singh is fighting SP&rsquo;s Gayatri Prajapati and Gauriganj is witnessing a contest between Mohd Naim and Rakesh Singh. &ldquo;It is a mismanagement in part of SP and not us. They didn&rsquo;t keep the promise,&rdquo; says Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.

As per the schedule prepared by the local Congress unit, the Congress member of Parliament Raj Babbar and Pramod Tiwari will campaign in Raebareli on February 16. The Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s two rallies are scheduled on the&nbsp;17th, four&nbsp;meetings of Raj Babbar and Pramod Tiwari again are fixed on the&nbsp;18th,&nbsp;and five&nbsp;meetings have been fixed for the Leader of Opposition Gulam Nabi Azad on the&nbsp;19th.

Sources say that February 20&nbsp;and 21&nbsp;have been reserved for Congress President Sonia Gandhi, but pointed out that the whole campaign schedule can change&nbsp;if Priyanka confirms the programme. Congress sources say that if the green signal comes then it would be scheduled after Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s visit, which is on February 17. It was also confirmed to WION by the local unit of Raebareli&nbsp;that till now it has also not received confirmation from the Congress President&rsquo;s office. The campaign in Raebareli would end at 5 pm on the 21st.

Some candidates were candid about the way the alliance has worked out in the family bastion. &ldquo;May be these discussions were held earlier and decisions taken later. But why these candidates have been put up, leadership understands it better,&rdquo; said Amita Singh former MLA contesting against Gayatri Prajapati.

So for now, all eyes are on Priyanka Gandhi.

(WION)

Clamour for Priyanka Gandhi to campaign in Raebareli has increased after incumbent CM Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for his party's candidate

Clamour for Priyanka Gandhi to campaign in Raebareli and in Amethi has increased as incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seems to have broken mutual understanding between the Gandhi’s and Yadav’s in the family pocket borough. Akhilesh Yadav campaigned for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Devendra Pratap Singh against the Congress candidate Ashok Singh in Sereni on Wednesday. Sources in the Raebareli Congress say that it was because of a friendly fight in four constituencies that the contest was kept centred around workers only. But now with Akhilesh’s visit, the game has changed. A close aide of the Gandhi family, and also a Congress Secretary, Kishori Lal, admitted there is tremendous pressure from the candidates to organise rallies for Priyanka Gandhi. He also said that last time around they over-exposed her, which they will be careful not to do in the current elections. “It was an excess from our part. We don’t want Priyanka Gandhi to do an aggressive campaign in the constituency. She is our senior leader,” said Kishori Lal. But he remains hopeful that Priyanka would come to the constituency. Congress sources confirmed to WION that a fresh proposal would be sent to Priyanka Gandhi by Wednesday night or Thursday morning to spare one or two days in Raebareli where campaiging ends on February 21. It would be proposed to Priyanka that she take five meetings consisting of booth committee members ranging between 3000-4000 people so that the message goes out that Congress has not given up seats like Sereni and Unchahar in Raebareli. Congress is witnessing friendly fight with SP on two seats each in Raebareli and Amethi. In Unchhar, Congress candidate Ajay Pal Singh is pitched against SP candidate Mohit Pandey who wants Mulayum Singh Yadav to campaign in the constituency. In Amethi Amita Singh is fighting SP’s Gayatri Prajapati and Gauriganj is witnessing a contest between Mohd Naim and Rakesh Singh. “It is a mismanagement in part of SP and not us. They didn’t keep the promise,” says Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. As per the schedule prepared by the local Congress unit, the Congress member of Parliament Raj Babbar and Pramod Tiwari will campaign in Raebareli on February 16. The Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s two rallies are scheduled on the 17th, four meetings of Raj Babbar and Pramod Tiwari again are fixed on the 18th, and five meetings have been fixed for the Leader of Opposition Gulam Nabi Azad on the 19th. Sources say that February 20 and 21 have been reserved for Congress President Sonia Gandhi, but pointed out that the whole campaign schedule can change if Priyanka confirms the programme. Congress sources say that if the green signal comes then it would be scheduled after Rahul Gandhi’s visit, which is on February 17. It was also confirmed to WION by the local unit of Raebareli that till now it has also not received confirmation from the Congress President’s office. The campaign in Raebareli would end at 5 pm on the 21st. Some candidates were candid about the way the alliance has worked out in the family bastion. “May be these discussions were held earlier and decisions taken later. But why these candidates have been put up, leadership understands it better,” said Amita Singh former MLA contesting against Gayatri Prajapati. So for now, all eyes are on Priyanka Gandhi. (WION)

UP Elections: Waiting for Priyanka

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling Samajwadi Party and the Opposition parties -- the Congress and the BSP -- for the lack of development in the state.

At an election rally in the state&#39;s Barabanki district, PM Modi claimed that in spite of the central government providing funds for farmers, the state government had not done any work in their favour. He said that Uttar Pradesh (UP) can develop only when the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress would be removed from the state.

&quot;Uttar Pradesh will progress only when the SP, BSP and Congress are removed. I urge people in UP to elect a BJP government devoted to development,&quot; he said while addressing a rally.

Till the time you will not punish SP, BSP and Congress, Uttar Pradesh will not change,&quot; he added.

Asserting confidence of achieving favourable mandate, Prime Minister Modi said an environment of contempt against the SP, BSP and Congress can be seen in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;Our government is for the poor, the underprivileged, the marginalised, the farmers. You can change the situation by placing your finger on the right symbol,&quot; he said.

The PM also took pot shots at chief minister Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s government at another election rally in Hardoi district, alleging that police stations in the state had become the SP&#39;s office. He also vowed to eradicate the rule of goons (gunda-raj) in the state if the BJP came to power.&nbsp;

&quot;Can any political party&#39;s office be at police stations? The police take permission from the Samajwadi Party (SP) workers to lodge a case. Police stations have become the Samajwadi Party&#39;s offices. The highest number of political murders are perpetrated in UP.&nbsp;

Law and order has completely collapsed in the state. There should be no discrimination in the deliverance of justice,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The PM, who was campaigning for the third and fourth phase elections in the state, vowed not to ditch the people in the state.

He drew a parallel with Lord Krishna who was born in UP but made Gujarat his &#39;karma bhoomi&#39; (place of work).

&quot;Krishna was born in Uttar Pradesh but made Gujarat his karma bhoomi. I was born in Gujarat but Uttar Pradesh has adopted me. It is a privilege for me. Uttar Pradesh is like &#39;mai-baap&#39;. I am not a son who would ditch his &#39;mai-baap&#39;. I will always care about Uttar Pradesh,&quot; he said.

The third phase of the UP assembly polls will take place on February 19. The results of the seven-phase elections will be announced on March 11.

Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Modi&#39;s inexperience barb, defends father Mulayam Singh

A day after PM Modi questioned him for forming a coalition with &quot;those who tried to murder&quot; his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav said Modi&#39;s advisors should have cited better examples like Firozabad where his party was defeated by the Congress in a by-poll.

The de facto chief of the SP said that his party had entered into an alliance with the Congress to keep communal forces at bay.

&quot;Why did he travel so far to 1984 to create anger in me against Congress. He could have mentioned Firozabad where Congress&#39; state unit chief (Raj Babbar) defeated us (in bypoll),&quot; he said, adding they were revisiting such an old incident only because they have already &quot;lost&quot; the elections.

Akhilesh Yadav also hit back at PM Modi for calling him &quot;inexperienced&quot; saying, he had learnt to cycle fast so that neither the BSP&#39;s elephant nor BJP&#39;s lotus could come anywhere near the SP. The elephant and the lotus are the elections symbols of the two parties.

&quot;They termed me as inexperienced but one can ride the bicycle (SP symbol) only after falling down at least once...I have learnt to ride bicycle and that too with great speed so that neither the elephant nor the lotus can come anywhere near,&quot; Akhilesh said at an election meeting in Karhal.

&quot;Modiji said in Kannauj that by entering into an alliance with Congress, I have shown inexperience...We have done this so as to remove all doubts among people about government formation...We have done this to form government and remove communal forces,&quot; he said.

On the BJP&#39;s &quot;achchey din&quot; (good days) slogan, he said, &quot;BJP people say SP could not bring achchey din...This was the slogan of BJP it was never given by the Samajwadis.&quot;

On the BJP&#39;s promise of loan waiver for farmers, he said, &quot;I want to ask what has their government done in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (where farmers are committing suicide...first you help farmers of Maharashtra&quot;.

Both Gujarat and Maharashtra are ruled by the BJP.

Akhilesh also dismissed claims of tensions with Mulayam Singh claiming &quot;SP is not my party but that of Netaji (Mulayam)&quot;.

At a rally in Etawah, Akhilesh alleged that some people had deliberately tried to create a rift between Mulayam Singh and himself.

&quot;Those who have tried to create distance between Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and me, the people of Etawah should teach them a lesson,&quot; Akhilesh said. Jinhone Netaji aur mere beech khaayi paida ki hai, Etawah ke log usay sabak sikhaane ka kaam karna: Akhilesh Yadav in Etawah

&quot;The very people we trusted were the ones who made me and Netaji fight,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

PM Modi should stop &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot;: Rahul Gandhi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi asked PM Modi to stop his radio programme &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot; and instead understand their sufferings in the wake of demonetisation.

Addressing an election rally in Sitapur, Rahul Gandhi also slammed Modi for not waiving off the loans of farmers.&nbsp;

&quot;There was a meeting yesterday (Wednesday). Some people raised their voice against demonetisation. Modiji asked, what is their problem?&quot;

&quot;Modiji, you should stop &quot;Mann Ki Baat&quot; and should listen to the people. You&#39;ll understand the problems people are facing due to demonetisation,&quot; he said.

Hitting out at Modi, Gandhi said that the Prime Minister does not need to be in power in Uttar Pradesh to waive off the loans of farmers.

&quot;To waive off loans, you (Modi) don&#39;t need to be in power in Uttar Pradesh for that. Your government is at the Centre, so you should waive off the loans. Why are you waiting for elections?&quot; Gandhi said. 
 
People won&#39;t be influenced by PM&#39;s &#39;adopted son&#39; drama: Mayawati

BSP chief Mayawati took a dig at PM Modi, saying that the People of UP will not be influenced by his drama of calling himself the adopted son of the state.

She also asked Modi not to spread false information about her party&#39;s work when they were in power in the state.

&quot;He can ask me if his people are unable to tell him,&quot; she said.

Mayawati also expressed confidence that the BSP would win with a majority in the upcoming elections.

&quot;I am glad to inform that in the two phases conducted in UP, majority of the seats have been won by the BSP candidates. I can assert that in the coming phases as well, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will lead. Our party will form the government in the state with full majority. Keeping in view the wrong policies and functioning of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), there is urgent need of BSP in Uttar Pradesh,&quot; she said. 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

PM Modi once again hit out at the Akhilesh Yadav government at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party and the Opposition parties -- the Congress and the BSP -- for the lack of development in the state. At an election rally in the state's Barabanki district, PM Modi claimed that in spite of the central government providing funds for farmers, the state government had not done any work in their favour. He said that Uttar Pradesh (UP) can develop only when the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress would be removed from the state. "Uttar Pradesh will progress only when the SP, BSP and Congress are removed. I urge people in UP to elect a BJP government devoted to development," he said while addressing a rally. Till the time you will not punish SP, BSP and Congress, Uttar Pradesh will not change," he added. Asserting confidence of achieving favourable mandate, Prime Minister Modi said an environment of contempt against the SP, BSP and Congress can be seen in Uttar Pradesh. "Our government is for the poor, the underprivileged, the marginalised, the farmers. You can change the situation by placing your finger on the right symbol," he said. The PM also took pot shots at chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's government at another election rally in Hardoi district, alleging that police stations in the state had become the SP's office. He also vowed to eradicate the rule of goons (gunda-raj) in the state if the BJP came to power. "Can any political party's office be at police stations? The police take permission from the Samajwadi Party (SP) workers to lodge a case. Police stations have become the Samajwadi Party's offices. The highest number of political murders are perpetrated in UP. Law and order has completely collapsed in the state. There should be no discrimination in the deliverance of justice," he said. The PM, who was campaigning for the third and fourth phase elections in the state, vowed not to ditch the people in the state. He drew a parallel with Lord Krishna who was born in UP but made Gujarat his 'karma bhoomi' (place of work). "Krishna was born in Uttar Pradesh but made Gujarat his karma bhoomi. I was born in Gujarat but Uttar Pradesh has adopted me. It is a privilege for me. Uttar Pradesh is like 'mai-baap'. I am not a son who would ditch his 'mai-baap'. I will always care about Uttar Pradesh," he said. The third phase of the UP assembly polls will take place on February 19. The results of the seven-phase elections will be announced on March 11. Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Modi's inexperience barb, defends father Mulayam Singh A day after PM Modi questioned him for forming a coalition with "those who tried to murder" his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav said Modi's advisors should have cited better examples like Firozabad where his party was defeated by the Congress in a by-poll. The de facto chief of the SP said that his party had entered into an alliance with the Congress to keep communal forces at bay. "Why did he travel so far to 1984 to create anger in me against Congress. He could have mentioned Firozabad where Congress' state unit chief (Raj Babbar) defeated us (in bypoll)," he said, adding they were revisiting such an old incident only because they have already "lost" the elections. Akhilesh Yadav also hit back at PM Modi for calling him "inexperienced" saying, he had learnt to cycle fast so that neither the BSP's elephant nor BJP's lotus could come anywhere near the SP. The elephant and the lotus are the elections symbols of the two parties. "They termed me as inexperienced but one can ride the bicycle (SP symbol) only after falling down at least once...I have learnt to ride bicycle and that too with great speed so that neither the elephant nor the lotus can come anywhere near," Akhilesh said at an election meeting in Karhal. "Modiji said in Kannauj that by entering into an alliance with Congress, I have shown inexperience...We have done this so as to remove all doubts among people about government formation...We have done this to form government and remove communal forces," he said. On the BJP's "achchey din" (good days) slogan, he said, "BJP people say SP could not bring achchey din...This was the slogan of BJP it was never given by the Samajwadis." On the BJP's promise of loan waiver for farmers, he said, "I want to ask what has their government done in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (where farmers are committing suicide...first you help farmers of Maharashtra". Both Gujarat and Maharashtra are ruled by the BJP. Akhilesh also dismissed claims of tensions with Mulayam Singh claiming "SP is not my party but that of Netaji (Mulayam)". At a rally in Etawah, Akhilesh alleged that some people had deliberately tried to create a rift between Mulayam Singh and himself. "Those who have tried to create distance between Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and me, the people of Etawah should teach them a lesson," Akhilesh said. Jinhone Netaji aur mere beech khaayi paida ki hai, Etawah ke log usay sabak sikhaane ka kaam karna: Akhilesh Yadav in Etawah "The very people we trusted were the ones who made me and Netaji fight," he added. PM Modi should stop "Mann ki Baat": Rahul Gandhi Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi asked PM Modi to stop his radio programme "Mann ki Baat" and instead understand their sufferings in the wake of demonetisation. Addressing an election rally in Sitapur, Rahul Gandhi also slammed Modi for not waiving off the loans of farmers. "There was a meeting yesterday (Wednesday). Some people raised their voice against demonetisation. Modiji asked, what is their problem?" "Modiji, you should stop "Mann Ki Baat" and should listen to the people. You'll understand the problems people are facing due to demonetisation," he said. Hitting out at Modi, Gandhi said that the Prime Minister does not need to be in power in Uttar Pradesh to waive off the loans of farmers. "To waive off loans, you (Modi) don't need to be in power in Uttar Pradesh for that. Your government is at the Centre, so you should waive off the loans. Why are you waiting for elections?" Gandhi said. People won't be influenced by PM's 'adopted son' drama: Mayawati BSP chief Mayawati took a dig at PM Modi, saying that the People of UP will not be influenced by his drama of calling himself the adopted son of the state. She also asked Modi not to spread false information about her party's work when they were in power in the state. "He can ask me if his people are unable to tell him," she said. Mayawati also expressed confidence that the BSP would win with a majority in the upcoming elections. "I am glad to inform that in the two phases conducted in UP, majority of the seats have been won by the BSP candidates. I can assert that in the coming phases as well, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will lead. Our party will form the government in the state with full majority. Keeping in view the wrong policies and functioning of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), there is urgent need of BSP in Uttar Pradesh," she said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Now, PM Modi compares himself to Lord Krishna

Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh: Dwelling on the father-son divide in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Samajwadi Party&nbsp;(SP),&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi chose to remind the north Indian state&#39;s chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, of the alleged attempt on his father&#39;s life in 1984&nbsp;by a Congress party member.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;I want to ask how Akhilesh forgot the attack carried out on Mulayam&nbsp;(Singh)&nbsp;Yadav by Congress in 1984... What can be more shameful than befriending those who tried to murder one&#39;s father?... They cannot be pardoned.&quot;&nbsp;Modi was campaigning for&nbsp;Bharatiya&nbsp;Janata&nbsp;Party&nbsp;(BJP)&nbsp;that leads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That Modi chose to drive home the jibe in Yadav&#39;s family turf&nbsp;Kannauj&nbsp;that is a&nbsp;part of the Lok Sabha&nbsp;constituency Akhilesh&#39;s wife, Dimple,&nbsp;represents&nbsp;in the Indian Parliament, is central to the BJP&#39;s attack on the SP-Congress combine contesting together in the assembly polls for India&#39;s most populous state.&nbsp;Akhilesh&#39;s dramatic and rather public fallout with his father, Mulayam Singh,&nbsp;SP&nbsp;founder, and the way he wrested control of the party leadership is being touted by the BJP as a sign of disloyalty by the son with his father, something unacceptable in Indian culture.&nbsp;

Speaking in Hindi, Modi told the gathering in&nbsp;Kannauj,&nbsp;&quot;Has politics&nbsp;been&nbsp;degraded to such an extent that for the love of power such a thing&nbsp;(joining hands with Congress)&nbsp;would be done?&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;

This&nbsp;is&nbsp;also the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited&nbsp;Kannauj, perhaps as a nod to Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s growing clout in a state considered central to Indian politics, being its most populous and having a direct bearing on the number of Members of Parliament seats a party gets in the&nbsp;Rajya&nbsp;Sabha or the Upper House&nbsp;of Indian Parliament.&nbsp;

&quot;Fed up of attacks by Mulayam Singh as&nbsp;leader of the&nbsp;opposition in&nbsp;the state&nbsp;assembly, Congress got shots fired at him on March 4, 1984,&nbsp;but he survived...&nbsp;I want to tell Akhilesh that he should have remembered this incident before sitting in the lap of Congress,&quot;&nbsp;Modi said in a pointed attack on Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s family dynamics, something the BJP has been using to discredit the SP&nbsp;for a while.&nbsp;

He&nbsp;also&nbsp;went on to add, &quot;Akhileshji&nbsp;ko&nbsp;abhi&nbsp;anubhav&nbsp;kum&nbsp;hain, Congress wale&nbsp;kitne&nbsp;chatur&nbsp;hain&nbsp;inko&nbsp;samajh&nbsp;nahi&nbsp;aata... Mulayam ji&nbsp;ko&nbsp;toh&nbsp;pata&nbsp;tha&nbsp;(Akhilesh has less experience. He does not understand how cunning Congress people are. Mulayam knew about it).&quot;&nbsp;

On March 4, 1984, Mulayam Singh&#39;s car was fired at&nbsp;while he was on his way&nbsp;to Lucknow&nbsp;from&nbsp;Etawah&nbsp;in UP.&nbsp;The&nbsp;name of a powerful&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;politician had come up in connection with the shooting.&nbsp;

Attacking the SP-Congress alliance in the state poll, Modi said the two parties&nbsp;were campaigning against each other before the announcement of polls &quot;but came together after the interval to enter into the alliance for the elections&quot;.&nbsp;

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s tempered response to Dalit&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Mayawati,&nbsp;who leads the&nbsp;Bahujan&nbsp;Samaj&nbsp;Party,&nbsp;at the joint press conference with Akhilesh for announcing the alliance with SP also drew the fire from Modi who called it Congress&#39;s&nbsp;&quot;three-legged race with one leg tied to&nbsp;Bahujan&nbsp;Samaj&nbsp;Party and another to Samajwadi Party&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;During the first press conference after the alliance, Akhilesh had attacked&nbsp;Mayawati,&nbsp;but when Congress vice-president was asked about her, he said he had nothing to say against her,&quot;&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

Gandhi&nbsp;had said, &quot;I personally respect&nbsp;Mayawati.&nbsp;Although BSP ruled in Uttar Pradesh and made some mistakes, my respect for her is intact&quot;.&nbsp;

This had prompted BJP to dub BSP as a hidden partner of Congress-Samajwadi Party.&nbsp;

However, Akhilesh seemed in no hurry to endorse the Prime Minister&#39;s take on his equation&nbsp;with&nbsp;Mayawati&nbsp;whom he calls&nbsp;buaji&nbsp;(father&#39;s sister) in jest in his poll speeches.&nbsp;

He told voters in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Unnao today that they should not trust the&nbsp;BSP as it might join hands with BJP after the assembly elections.&nbsp;

&quot;Buaji&nbsp;(Mayawati) is saying she will sit in the opposition if she is unable to form government. Elections are not over yet, but she is ready to sit in the opposition.&nbsp;

&quot;She cannot be relied upon. She can join hands with anyone. She had celebrated &#39;Rakshabandhan&#39; with a BJP leader earlier and she can do it in the future also,&quot; Akhilesh said at an election rally in Unnao.&nbsp;

His remarks came after&nbsp;Mayawati&nbsp;said that she would rather be in the opposition than form an alliance with BJP to form the government in Uttar Pradesh and accused the saffron party of spreading&nbsp;rumours&nbsp;of a coalition with BSP.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, however, the&nbsp;BSP chief&nbsp;seemed pleased with&nbsp;the polling trend in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll, saying it indicated that her party was surging towards getting a majority.&nbsp;

&quot;Just like the first phase, the second phase of polling in 67 seats which took place today is a good indication that BSP is coming to power in UP with full majority,&quot; she said in a statement here.

(WION with agency inputs)

BJP is going to town over the "disloyalty" shown by Akhilesh to his father by forming a poll alliance with Congress

Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh: Dwelling on the father-son divide in Uttar Pradesh's Samajwadi Party (SP), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to remind the north Indian state's chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, of the alleged attempt on his father's life in 1984 by a Congress party member. "I want to ask how Akhilesh forgot the attack carried out on Mulayam (Singh) Yadav by Congress in 1984... What can be more shameful than befriending those who tried to murder one's father?... They cannot be pardoned." Modi was campaigning for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that leads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) federal government. That Modi chose to drive home the jibe in Yadav's family turf Kannauj that is a part of the Lok Sabha constituency Akhilesh's wife, Dimple, represents in the Indian Parliament, is central to the BJP's attack on the SP-Congress combine contesting together in the assembly polls for India's most populous state. Akhilesh's dramatic and rather public fallout with his father, Mulayam Singh, SP founder, and the way he wrested control of the party leadership is being touted by the BJP as a sign of disloyalty by the son with his father, something unacceptable in Indian culture. Speaking in Hindi, Modi told the gathering in Kannauj, "Has politics been degraded to such an extent that for the love of power such a thing (joining hands with Congress) would be done?" This is also the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Kannauj, perhaps as a nod to Akhilesh Yadav's growing clout in a state considered central to Indian politics, being its most populous and having a direct bearing on the number of Members of Parliament seats a party gets in the Rajya Sabha or the Upper House of Indian Parliament. "Fed up of attacks by Mulayam Singh as leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Congress got shots fired at him on March 4, 1984, but he survived... I want to tell Akhilesh that he should have remembered this incident before sitting in the lap of Congress," Modi said in a pointed attack on Akhilesh Yadav's family dynamics, something the BJP has been using to discredit the SP for a while. He also went on to add, "Akhileshji ko abhi anubhav kum hain, Congress wale kitne chatur hain inko samajh nahi aata... Mulayam ji ko toh pata tha (Akhilesh has less experience. He does not understand how cunning Congress people are. Mulayam knew about it)." On March 4, 1984, Mulayam Singh's car was fired at while he was on his way to Lucknow from Etawah in UP. The name of a powerful Congress politician had come up in connection with the shooting. Attacking the SP-Congress alliance in the state poll, Modi said the two parties were campaigning against each other before the announcement of polls "but came together after the interval to enter into the alliance for the elections". Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's tempered response to Dalit leader Mayawati, who leads the Bahujan Samaj Party, at the joint press conference with Akhilesh for announcing the alliance with SP also drew the fire from Modi who called it Congress's "three-legged race with one leg tied to Bahujan Samaj Party and another to Samajwadi Party". "During the first press conference after the alliance, Akhilesh had attacked Mayawati, but when Congress vice-president was asked about her, he said he had nothing to say against her," Modi said. Gandhi had said, "I personally respect Mayawati. Although BSP ruled in Uttar Pradesh and made some mistakes, my respect for her is intact". This had prompted BJP to dub BSP as a hidden partner of Congress-Samajwadi Party. However, Akhilesh seemed in no hurry to endorse the Prime Minister's take on his equation with Mayawati whom he calls buaji (father's sister) in jest in his poll speeches. He told voters in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao today that they should not trust the BSP as it might join hands with BJP after the assembly elections. "Buaji (Mayawati) is saying she will sit in the opposition if she is unable to form government. Elections are not over yet, but she is ready to sit in the opposition. "She cannot be relied upon. She can join hands with anyone. She had celebrated 'Rakshabandhan' with a BJP leader earlier and she can do it in the future also," Akhilesh said at an election rally in Unnao. His remarks came after Mayawati said that she would rather be in the opposition than form an alliance with BJP to form the government in Uttar Pradesh and accused the saffron party of spreading rumours of a coalition with BSP. On Wednesday, however, the BSP chief seemed pleased with the polling trend in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll, saying it indicated that her party was surging towards getting a majority. "Just like the first phase, the second phase of polling in 67 seats which took place today is a good indication that BSP is coming to power in UP with full majority," she said in a statement here. (WION with agency inputs)

Congress tried to kill your father, how can you join hands with them? PM Modi asks UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav

Castigating the brittle law and order condition in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday cornered chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and said that the latter commenced his campaign for the state polls from Sultanpur where a 22-year-old woman, who had accused the contesting Samajwadi Party MLA Arun Verma of raping her along with some other youth in 2013, was found murdered near her house.

Asserting that Verma is a close confidant of the chief minister, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, &quot;Mr&nbsp;Akhilesh Yadav launched a campaign for Uttar Pradesh elections from this constituency of Arun Verma, so naturally where you start a campaign from a person who propagates lawlessness shows what kind of law and order situation Akhilesh Yadav and his government would maintain in Uttar Pradesh.&quot;

Treading same paths another BJP leader Nalin Kohli demanded inquiry against Verma and said that such incidents prove that law and order in Uttar Pradesh have hit an all time low and hence has collapsed.

&quot;This is very serious very worrisome. In Uttar Pradesh law and order is in a state of crisis this confirms yet again that a person has been targeted who has levelled a serious allegation and that too of rape against a Samajwadi party leader,&quot; Kohli told ANI.

&quot;Law and order has collapsed in Uttar Pradesh and now if the chief minister there said that he will do something then it is too late as somebody has lost its life. Immediately the person should be taken into custody and there should be an inquiry. How can murders&nbsp;take place so freely in Uttar Pradesh?&quot; he added.

According to reports, a 22-year-old woman who had accused Verma of raping her along with some other youths in 2013 was found murdered near her house in Sultanpur yesterday.

The body of the woman, who was missing since Saturday, was found on Sunday near a primary school in Jaisinghpur.&nbsp;An FIR has been registered in this regard.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

BJP leader Nalin Kohli demanded an inquiry against Verma and said such incidents prove law and order in UP has hit an all-time low

Castigating the brittle law and order condition in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday cornered chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and said that the latter commenced his campaign for the state polls from Sultanpur where a 22-year-old woman, who had accused the contesting Samajwadi Party MLA Arun Verma of raping her along with some other youth in 2013, was found murdered near her house. Asserting that Verma is a close confidant of the chief minister, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, "Mr Akhilesh Yadav launched a campaign for Uttar Pradesh elections from this constituency of Arun Verma, so naturally where you start a campaign from a person who propagates lawlessness shows what kind of law and order situation Akhilesh Yadav and his government would maintain in Uttar Pradesh." Treading same paths another BJP leader Nalin Kohli demanded inquiry against Verma and said that such incidents prove that law and order in Uttar Pradesh have hit an all time low and hence has collapsed. "This is very serious very worrisome. In Uttar Pradesh law and order is in a state of crisis this confirms yet again that a person has been targeted who has levelled a serious allegation and that too of rape against a Samajwadi party leader," Kohli told ANI. "Law and order has collapsed in Uttar Pradesh and now if the chief minister there said that he will do something then it is too late as somebody has lost its life. Immediately the person should be taken into custody and there should be an inquiry. How can murders take place so freely in Uttar Pradesh?" he added. According to reports, a 22-year-old woman who had accused Verma of raping her along with some other youths in 2013 was found murdered near her house in Sultanpur yesterday. The body of the woman, who was missing since Saturday, was found on Sunday near a primary school in Jaisinghpur. An FIR has been registered in this regard. (ANI)

India: Akhilesh attacked after woman who accused SP MLA of gang rape is found dead

With India&#39;s largest state Uttar Pradesh already swept up in the hurly-burly of elections, ruling Samajwadi Party and Congress jointly released a manifesto, promising a raft of sops and especially focusing on the youth.

The Samajwadi Party and the Congress joined hands before the elections as they set to take on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party in the state elections.

Free distribution of smartphones to youth,&nbsp;employment guarantee through skill development to 20 lakh youths, loan waiver to farmers, cheap power and proper remuneration for crops, are but few of the promises made by the parties.

It also commits to provide Rs 1,000 monthly pension to one crore poor families and one time food at Rs 10 to urban poor, 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and 50 per cent reservation in panchayat and local bodies elections besides power, road and water to every village in five years. 
 
Free cycles to all girl students of class IX to XII and meritorious students, free homes to over 10 lakh poor dalit and backward families, four lane roads connecting all districts and metro in six main cities also figure in the list. 
 
For the minorities and backwards, it promises representation in ratio to their population in all the welfare schemes as also police modernisation for making it more effective and phased expansion of dial-100 scheme. 
 
These commitments include the promises made by Rahul Gandhi during his state-wide Kisan Yatra, such as loan waiver to farmers and reduction of power tariff for them - a long time demand of Congress. 
 
&quot;At least Samajwadi people practically give shape to what they say but some others only do &#39;mann ki baat&#39; but &#39;kaam ki baat nahi karte&#39;... they do not say in rallies and in districts what are the achievements of their government,&quot; Akhilesh said. 
 
&quot;(They say) two families have entered into an alliance... 
 
I will say that two youths have come together it is an the alliance of SP and Congress...,&quot; he stressed in response to a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s comment in this regard. 
 
&quot;These are ten steps to development worked out by the two parties on which Congress and SP will work on coming to power in future,&quot; Akhilesh added.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

They have promised job employment and better remuneration for crops as India's most populous state heads for elections

With India's largest state Uttar Pradesh already swept up in the hurly-burly of elections, ruling Samajwadi Party and Congress jointly released a manifesto, promising a raft of sops and especially focusing on the youth. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress joined hands before the elections as they set to take on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party in the state elections. Free distribution of smartphones to youth, employment guarantee through skill development to 20 lakh youths, loan waiver to farmers, cheap power and proper remuneration for crops, are but few of the promises made by the parties. It also commits to provide Rs 1,000 monthly pension to one crore poor families and one time food at Rs 10 to urban poor, 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and 50 per cent reservation in panchayat and local bodies elections besides power, road and water to every village in five years. Free cycles to all girl students of class IX to XII and meritorious students, free homes to over 10 lakh poor dalit and backward families, four lane roads connecting all districts and metro in six main cities also figure in the list. For the minorities and backwards, it promises representation in ratio to their population in all the welfare schemes as also police modernisation for making it more effective and phased expansion of dial-100 scheme. These commitments include the promises made by Rahul Gandhi during his state-wide Kisan Yatra, such as loan waiver to farmers and reduction of power tariff for them - a long time demand of Congress. "At least Samajwadi people practically give shape to what they say but some others only do 'mann ki baat' but 'kaam ki baat nahi karte'... they do not say in rallies and in districts what are the achievements of their government," Akhilesh said. "(They say) two families have entered into an alliance... I will say that two youths have come together it is an the alliance of SP and Congress...," he stressed in response to a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment in this regard. "These are ten steps to development worked out by the two parties on which Congress and SP will work on coming to power in future," Akhilesh added. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Uttar Pradesh elections: Samajwadi Party, Congress release manifesto

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on India Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his &#39;raincoat&#39; jibe and &#39;jokes&#39; remark saying, Prime Minister &quot;likes to peep into people&#39;s bathrooms&quot;.

Without naming, Modi on Friday had said that the maximum number of jokes that one will find online were made on the ministers of the grand old party.

Addressing the media after releasing a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) at a joint press conference with Akhilesh Yadav, in Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi said, &quot;Modi likes to read &#39;janampatri&#39;, search Google and peep into bathrooms of people...but he is a failure as PM.&quot;

Modi will get a jolt from results of the ongoing UP polls , he added.

&quot;We want a government for the youth, one that has vision. These ten points in the joint programme are foundations of development,&quot; Rahul said talking about the CMP.

Stating that it is not good to have too much anger, Akhilesh Yadav also hit out at PM Modi saying, &quot;The anger shows that he is losing sand from beneath of his feet. No need for emotions and anger...these are elections for growth and prosperity of the state,&quot; he added.

&quot;PM and BJP should not mislead people and come forward and tell what they have given to the state which has elected all prominent NDA leaders,&quot; Akhilesh said.

Akhilesh also expressed happiness with the initial voting trend in the first phase of polling and said, &quot;First votes went to SP-Congress alliance and so alliance will be ahead.&quot;

Meanwhile, clearing the air about the differences between the alliance over a few seats, Rahul said, &quot;On 99 per cent of 403 seats there is no problem. Issues being resolved on remaining seats&quot;

&quot;We are fighting polls together...wrong to say there is no coordination in alliance,&quot; Rahul added.

Smartphones, skill development, free cycles and homes for the poor were among the key points in SP-Congress joint programme.

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(This report first appeared in DNA)

Smartphones, skill development, free cycles and homes for the poor among the key points in SP-Congress joint programme

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on India Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'raincoat' jibe and 'jokes' remark saying, Prime Minister "likes to peep into people's bathrooms". Without naming, Modi on Friday had said that the maximum number of jokes that one will find online were made on the ministers of the grand old party. Addressing the media after releasing a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) at a joint press conference with Akhilesh Yadav, in Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi said, "Modi likes to read 'janampatri', search Google and peep into bathrooms of people...but he is a failure as PM." Modi will get a jolt from results of the ongoing UP polls , he added. "We want a government for the youth, one that has vision. These ten points in the joint programme are foundations of development," Rahul said talking about the CMP. Stating that it is not good to have too much anger, Akhilesh Yadav also hit out at PM Modi saying, "The anger shows that he is losing sand from beneath of his feet. No need for emotions and anger...these are elections for growth and prosperity of the state," he added. "PM and BJP should not mislead people and come forward and tell what they have given to the state which has elected all prominent NDA leaders," Akhilesh said. Akhilesh also expressed happiness with the initial voting trend in the first phase of polling and said, "First votes went to SP-Congress alliance and so alliance will be ahead." Meanwhile, clearing the air about the differences between the alliance over a few seats, Rahul said, "On 99 per cent of 403 seats there is no problem. Issues being resolved on remaining seats" "We are fighting polls together...wrong to say there is no coordination in alliance," Rahul added. Smartphones, skill development, free cycles and homes for the poor were among the key points in SP-Congress joint programme. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi release Common Minimum Programme on poll day, mock PM Modi

Ahead of the first phase of polling in India&#39;s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to take on the ruling Samajwadi Party and its coalition partner Congress today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the SP-Congress a tie-up between two families who have &quot;looted&quot;(robed) Uttar Pradesh and the country, and mocked Rahul Gandhi saying no leader has as many jokes on him as he does for his &quot;childish&quot; acts.

&quot;When both families were separate, they caused so much destruction in the country and Uttar Pradesh. What will happen when they have joined hands. If you want to save Uttar Pradesh, you will have to save it from these families,&quot; he said addressing a rally in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh.

With BJP locked in a tough fight in the state assembly polls, the Prime Minister dwelt at length on the &quot;family rule&quot; of the Yadav clan and cases of crimes under its watch, besides alleged &quot;corruption&quot; during the reign of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati governments.

Modi, who has been accused by Congress of using foul language and repeatedly humiliating opposition after his raincoat jibe against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, persisted with his shrill attack on rivals saying they have only served their families.

With Jats playing a key role in the two phases for which polling will be held tomorrow and in the second phase on February 15, he said a BJP government in the state will set up a farmers welfare fund named after Charan Singh, a noted Jat leader.
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Clearing the dues of sugarcane farmers and waiving loans of small and marginal farmers, both promises being part of the BJP&#39;s manifesto, will be a top priority for the state government if his party is voted to power, he declared.

It was, however, his attack on the SP-Congress alliance and the ruling Yadav family which was the focus of his speech.

&quot;I do not know Akhilesh Yadav much. I have met him a few times in meetings and it seemed to me after reading various reports that he is an educated young man who is trying to learn. I was hopeful that a young man will be fit for politics in 5-10 years,&quot; the Prime Minister said.

&quot;On the other hand there is a Congress leaders who does so many childish acts that if you do a search on computer, you will find that no other leader has as many jokes on him as he has.&quot;

&quot;Even senior Congress leaders keep a distance from him. When the leader avoided by his senior party leaders was embraced by Akhilesh, then I began doubting his wisdom. One can make blunders but not of this kind,&quot; Modi said, targeting the Congress vice president.

He said it is an alliance between two families, one of which &quot;looted&quot; the country and the other Uttar Pradesh.

He noted that so many members of the extended ruling Yadav family are MPs, MLAs and serving in various other capacities in government.&nbsp;While Bijnor with about 2,000 villages has one MP, there are so many of them in Parliament, assembly and other government bodies from Safai, the family village of Akhilesh Yadav, he said.

They made one caste (Yadav) as their vote bank but served only their family, he said. The opposition BJP is being touted as a probable winner by political pandits and poll surveys but the recent Congress, Samajwadi Party coalition has changed the political fervour in the northern state engaged in a bitter poll fight with even the Mayawati-led BSP vying for the top slot.

(WION with PTI inputs)
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PM Narendra Modi attacked the tie-up of the Congress and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the first phase of polling tomorrow

Ahead of the first phase of polling in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to take on the ruling Samajwadi Party and its coalition partner Congress today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the SP-Congress a tie-up between two families who have "looted"(robed) Uttar Pradesh and the country, and mocked Rahul Gandhi saying no leader has as many jokes on him as he does for his "childish" acts. "When both families were separate, they caused so much destruction in the country and Uttar Pradesh. What will happen when they have joined hands. If you want to save Uttar Pradesh, you will have to save it from these families," he said addressing a rally in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. With BJP locked in a tough fight in the state assembly polls, the Prime Minister dwelt at length on the "family rule" of the Yadav clan and cases of crimes under its watch, besides alleged "corruption" during the reign of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati governments. Modi, who has been accused by Congress of using foul language and repeatedly humiliating opposition after his raincoat jibe against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, persisted with his shrill attack on rivals saying they have only served their families. With Jats playing a key role in the two phases for which polling will be held tomorrow and in the second phase on February 15, he said a BJP government in the state will set up a farmers welfare fund named after Charan Singh, a noted Jat leader. Clearing the dues of sugarcane farmers and waiving loans of small and marginal farmers, both promises being part of the BJP's manifesto, will be a top priority for the state government if his party is voted to power, he declared. It was, however, his attack on the SP-Congress alliance and the ruling Yadav family which was the focus of his speech. "I do not know Akhilesh Yadav much. I have met him a few times in meetings and it seemed to me after reading various reports that he is an educated young man who is trying to learn. I was hopeful that a young man will be fit for politics in 5-10 years," the Prime Minister said. "On the other hand there is a Congress leaders who does so many childish acts that if you do a search on computer, you will find that no other leader has as many jokes on him as he has." "Even senior Congress leaders keep a distance from him. When the leader avoided by his senior party leaders was embraced by Akhilesh, then I began doubting his wisdom. One can make blunders but not of this kind," Modi said, targeting the Congress vice president. He said it is an alliance between two families, one of which "looted" the country and the other Uttar Pradesh. He noted that so many members of the extended ruling Yadav family are MPs, MLAs and serving in various other capacities in government. While Bijnor with about 2,000 villages has one MP, there are so many of them in Parliament, assembly and other government bodies from Safai, the family village of Akhilesh Yadav, he said. They made one caste (Yadav) as their vote bank but served only their family, he said. The opposition BJP is being touted as a probable winner by political pandits and poll surveys but the recent Congress, Samajwadi Party coalition has changed the political fervour in the northern state engaged in a bitter poll fight with even the Mayawati-led BSP vying for the top slot. (WION with PTI inputs)

PM Narendra Modi attacks 'family rule' in Uttar Pradesh election rally

India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling Samajwadi Party(SP) during an election rally in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Ghaziabad district.

The Indian prime minister attacked the Akhilesh Yadav government over the law and order situation in the state and the constant infighting within the ruling party.

&quot;Girls are afraid of going to school. Your Samajwadi Party (SP) is harbouring goons and they are responsible for this condition of Uttar Pradesh (UP),&quot; PM Modi said while addressing an election rally in UP&#39;s Ghaziabad.

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls on February 11 in the first phase of polls, in a long drawn seven-phase polling schedule set to culminate with results set to be announced on 11th March. Political pundits&nbsp;believe BJP will win a&nbsp;majority of seats in the assembly but the recent Congress-Samajwadi Party coalition may unsettle their plans to come to power.

PM Modi said rapes and murders were unaccounted for in the state and the Samajwadi Party was neither &quot;worried, nor did it consider it their responsibility to tackle the situation&quot;.

&quot;Today, in Uttar Pradesh, after the sun sets a woman cannot step outside confidently on the streets as they are not safe in the state,&quot; PM Modi asserted.

He also blamed the SP and the Mayawati-led BSP for the lack of development in the state.&nbsp;&quot;Development has gone to &#39;exile&#39; for the last 14 years in the state, this election is about bringing development back,&quot; he said.

&quot;After Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power, we will form a special task force against land mafia. Then we will give back land to the poor and middle class people,&quot; said Modi.

The PM said the politically-crucial state could become the country&#39;s &quot;best state&quot; (Uttam Pradesh) &nbsp;if people chose the right government, alluding to his party, the BJP.

&quot;Nowadays, I am listening to speeches. They abuse the federal government for five minutes. Can you give me an account of your achievements as well,&quot; the prime minister said pointing to the opposition.

&quot;If Bharatiya Janata Party assumes power in Uttar Pradesh we will scrutinise the scams in employment sector and will give jobs to unemployed people,&quot; he said.

Blaming the Samajwadi Party for the lack of development in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said Akhilesh Yadav had &quot;destroyed the state in the last five years&quot;.

&quot;The Samajwadi Party, which has been in power for last five years, it is their duty to answer the people of Uttar Pradesh about the work they have done,&quot; India&#39;s prime minister said.

&quot;When Akhilesh Yadav became Chief Minister, we thought there would be development in the state since he is young and highly educated, but he destroyed the state in five years,&quot; Modi said.

&quot;Due to selfish politics, poor are not getting food even twice a day. Even that does not seem to have had any impact on the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government,&quot; Modi added.

The PM said the objective in the upcoming state assembly election was to bring development in the state.&nbsp;

He also said he would give an account of my achievements in the 2019 general elections.

&quot;Akhilesh is so scared, he has embraced whoever he came across. Who steps in a sinking boat,&quot; Modi sarcastically remarked referring to SP&#39;s alliance with the Congress for the assembly elections in the state.

Modi also took pot-shots at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, son of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, blaming him for the split in the party.&nbsp;

&quot;What have you done to your father (Mulayam Singh Yadav), uncle (Shivpal Yadav) and the daughter-in-laws, nephews and brothers in your family, the people know everything,&quot; he said.

(WION with agency inputs) 
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PM Modi attacked the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party at an election rally in Ghaziabad

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party(SP) during an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district. The Indian prime minister attacked the Akhilesh Yadav government over the law and order situation in the state and the constant infighting within the ruling party. "Girls are afraid of going to school. Your Samajwadi Party (SP) is harbouring goons and they are responsible for this condition of Uttar Pradesh (UP)," PM Modi said while addressing an election rally in UP's Ghaziabad. Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls on February 11 in the first phase of polls, in a long drawn seven-phase polling schedule set to culminate with results set to be announced on 11th March. Political pundits believe BJP will win a majority of seats in the assembly but the recent Congress-Samajwadi Party coalition may unsettle their plans to come to power. PM Modi said rapes and murders were unaccounted for in the state and the Samajwadi Party was neither "worried, nor did it consider it their responsibility to tackle the situation". "Today, in Uttar Pradesh, after the sun sets a woman cannot step outside confidently on the streets as they are not safe in the state," PM Modi asserted. He also blamed the SP and the Mayawati-led BSP for the lack of development in the state. "Development has gone to 'exile' for the last 14 years in the state, this election is about bringing development back," he said. "After Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power, we will form a special task force against land mafia. Then we will give back land to the poor and middle class people," said Modi. The PM said the politically-crucial state could become the country's "best state" (Uttam Pradesh) if people chose the right government, alluding to his party, the BJP. "Nowadays, I am listening to speeches. They abuse the federal government for five minutes. Can you give me an account of your achievements as well," the prime minister said pointing to the opposition. "If Bharatiya Janata Party assumes power in Uttar Pradesh we will scrutinise the scams in employment sector and will give jobs to unemployed people," he said. Blaming the Samajwadi Party for the lack of development in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said Akhilesh Yadav had "destroyed the state in the last five years". "The Samajwadi Party, which has been in power for last five years, it is their duty to answer the people of Uttar Pradesh about the work they have done," India's prime minister said. "When Akhilesh Yadav became Chief Minister, we thought there would be development in the state since he is young and highly educated, but he destroyed the state in five years," Modi said. "Due to selfish politics, poor are not getting food even twice a day. Even that does not seem to have had any impact on the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government," Modi added. The PM said the objective in the upcoming state assembly election was to bring development in the state. He also said he would give an account of my achievements in the 2019 general elections. "Akhilesh is so scared, he has embraced whoever he came across. Who steps in a sinking boat," Modi sarcastically remarked referring to SP's alliance with the Congress for the assembly elections in the state. Modi also took pot-shots at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, son of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, blaming him for the split in the party. "What have you done to your father (Mulayam Singh Yadav), uncle (Shivpal Yadav) and the daughter-in-laws, nephews and brothers in your family, the people know everything," he said. (WION with agency inputs)

Development on 'exile' in UP for 14 years: Modi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav held a joint roadshow in Agra on Friday.

Both leaders were hosted in an open top bus to showcase&nbsp;a united front to the opposition BJP and BSP in the state which is set to go the polls on 11th February. The road show which lasted for less than&nbsp;an hour was greeted by a flood of Samajwadi Party and Congress supporters. &nbsp;
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The two leaders had earlier held a joint interaction on January 29 declaring their objective to &quot;defeat the fascist forces&quot; referring to the BJP and promising to usher in a &quot;storm of development&quot;. Rahul Gandhi had said that he shared both a personal and political relationship with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and their coming together was akin to the &quot;meeting of the Ganga and Yamuna at the Sangam.&quot; Chief minister Akhilesh, pronounced that they were &quot;two wheels of the cycle.&quot;

The leaders also released the joint campaign slogan &#39;UP koh yeh saath pasand hai&#39; (UP relishes this alliance). Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election between February 11 and March 8.

Out of the 403 assembly seats, the Congress will be contesting in 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will field its candidates in rest of the 298 seats. 
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(WION with agency inputs)
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Both leaders were hosted in an open top bus to showcase?a united front to the opposition BJP and BSP ahead of the first phase of polls

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav held a joint roadshow in Agra on Friday. Both leaders were hosted in an open top bus to showcase a united front to the opposition BJP and BSP in the state which is set to go the polls on 11th February. The road show which lasted for less than an hour was greeted by a flood of Samajwadi Party and Congress supporters. The two leaders had earlier held a joint interaction on January 29 declaring their objective to "defeat the fascist forces" referring to the BJP and promising to usher in a "storm of development". Rahul Gandhi had said that he shared both a personal and political relationship with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and their coming together was akin to the "meeting of the Ganga and Yamuna at the Sangam." Chief minister Akhilesh, pronounced that they were "two wheels of the cycle." The leaders also released the joint campaign slogan 'UP koh yeh saath pasand hai' (UP relishes this alliance). Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election between February 11 and March 8. Out of the 403 assembly seats, the Congress will be contesting in 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will field its candidates in rest of the 298 seats. (WION with agency inputs)

Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi hold joint road show in Agra

The Samajwadi Party which is the ruling party of India&#39;s most populous state,&nbsp;Uttar Pradesh, is headed for a split following months-long bickering by the first family of the political outfit.

Shivpal Yadav, brother of Samajwadi Party satrap Mulayam Singh Yadav, has announced he will float a new party on March 11, the day the results of the Uttar Pradesh elections are announced.

In a show of defiance, Shivpal said he would also campaign for those who were denied the chance of contesting the state election by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is his nephew and the leader of the Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal also tut-tutted Akhilesh&#39;s decision to forge a pre-election alliance with the Congress, a decision that was condemned by Mulayam as well.

&quot;Netaji (as Mulayam is fondly called) and I have been attacked repeatedly. Many people have said they are what they are because of Netaji and those same people are today insulting him,&quot; Indian news agencies quoted Shivpal as saying.

Moments before, Shivpal filed his nomination papers to contest the elections in Uttar Pradesh. However, he will fight the elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

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Days after the Akhilesh Yadav emerged as the party&#39;s CM face in Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal today said he will be forming his own party post the assembly elections. Here&#39;s more to this story. (WION)
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The state will go to polls on February 11 and will carry on till March 8 on seven different days. The election results will be announced on March 11.

The Samajwadi Party, or the SP, has been inflicted with regular bouts of feuds as son Akhilesh and his father Mulayam have not seen eye-to-eye on a number of issues.

Joining hands with the Congress ahead of the elections is one bone of contention.&nbsp;While Akhilesh was in favour of tying up with the Congress, his father was dead against it. Even after the alliance was announced, Mulayam, like his brother Shivpal, had vowed to not campaign for the Congress.

Currently, the SP has been split into two factions: one supporting Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and the other backing Mulayam and Shivpal Yadav.

The discord in the party was sown last September and despite a slew of temporary patch-ups, the Yadav family has failed to reconcile with each other.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

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The rebellion rhapsody in the Samajwadi Party continues as Shivpal Yadav has announced he will float his own party on March 11

The Samajwadi Party which is the ruling party of India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, is headed for a split following months-long bickering by the first family of the political outfit. Shivpal Yadav, brother of Samajwadi Party satrap Mulayam Singh Yadav, has announced he will float a new party on March 11, the day the results of the Uttar Pradesh elections are announced. In a show of defiance, Shivpal said he would also campaign for those who were denied the chance of contesting the state election by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is his nephew and the leader of the Samajwadi Party. Shivpal also tut-tutted Akhilesh's decision to forge a pre-election alliance with the Congress, a decision that was condemned by Mulayam as well. "Netaji (as Mulayam is fondly called) and I have been attacked repeatedly. Many people have said they are what they are because of Netaji and those same people are today insulting him," Indian news agencies quoted Shivpal as saying. Moments before, Shivpal filed his nomination papers to contest the elections in Uttar Pradesh. However, he will fight the elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate. Days after the Akhilesh Yadav emerged as the party's CM face in Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal today said he will be forming his own party post the assembly elections. Here's more to this story. (WION) × The state will go to polls on February 11 and will carry on till March 8 on seven different days. The election results will be announced on March 11. The Samajwadi Party, or the SP, has been inflicted with regular bouts of feuds as son Akhilesh and his father Mulayam have not seen eye-to-eye on a number of issues. Joining hands with the Congress ahead of the elections is one bone of contention. While Akhilesh was in favour of tying up with the Congress, his father was dead against it. Even after the alliance was announced, Mulayam, like his brother Shivpal, had vowed to not campaign for the Congress. Currently, the SP has been split into two factions: one supporting Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and the other backing Mulayam and Shivpal Yadav. The discord in the party was sown last September and despite a slew of temporary patch-ups, the Yadav family has failed to reconcile with each other. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uttar Pradesh: SP braces for split after elections

The dream to stitch a grand alliance between Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal&nbsp;and Samajwadi Party turned out to be a cropper when SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav declared 325 out of 400 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Mulayam, better known as Netaji in the political circuit of Uttar Pradesh, categorically said SP will not enter into any alliance for the forthcoming assembly elections. The elections are expected to be held in late February or early March in 2017 along with Punjab and Goa.

Insiders say that the decision to go alone comes from Mulayum Singh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav was in support of the grand alliance and had categorically said that if a grand alliance is put into place then it will end up winning 300 seats. &nbsp;

Sources say that the insistence of the Congress Party for 100 seats led to collapse of the talk which was taking place informally between the SP and Congress. Congress was also insisting for the position of deputy chief minister. Even Rahul&nbsp;Gandhi on Tuesday remained non-committal on the alliance with regional party without denying the question out right whether they are in talks with anyone.&nbsp;The Samajwadi Party is expected to release 78 seats sometime next week.&nbsp;

The list also indicates that both Mulayum and Shivpal Yadav are on the same page and have only accommodated people close to them. The party denied tickets to sitting ministers considered close to the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. It includes Arvind Singh Gop from Barabanki, Pawan Pandey from Ayodhya and Kamal Akhtar from Western Uttar Pradesh. When asked as to where Akhilesh will contest the elections, Mulayam said,&rdquo; He can contest elections from anywhere he wants.&rdquo;

The list includes names which are controversial and team Akhilesh wanted them out of the power structure because of their antecedents. It includes dreaded don Atiq Ahmad from Kanpur Cant and Sibagtullah Ansari from Mohamdabad. Sibagtullah is elder brother of Muqthar Ansari again a noted don from the eastern Uttar Pradesh.

(WION)

Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal wanted to forge an alliance with Samajwadi Party to contest polls in India's most populous state

The dream to stitch a grand alliance between Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Party turned out to be a cropper when SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav declared 325 out of 400 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam, better known as Netaji in the political circuit of Uttar Pradesh, categorically said SP will not enter into any alliance for the forthcoming assembly elections. The elections are expected to be held in late February or early March in 2017 along with Punjab and Goa. Insiders say that the decision to go alone comes from Mulayum Singh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav was in support of the grand alliance and had categorically said that if a grand alliance is put into place then it will end up winning 300 seats. Sources say that the insistence of the Congress Party for 100 seats led to collapse of the talk which was taking place informally between the SP and Congress. Congress was also insisting for the position of deputy chief minister. Even Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday remained non-committal on the alliance with regional party without denying the question out right whether they are in talks with anyone. The Samajwadi Party is expected to release 78 seats sometime next week. The list also indicates that both Mulayum and Shivpal Yadav are on the same page and have only accommodated people close to them. The party denied tickets to sitting ministers considered close to the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. It includes Arvind Singh Gop from Barabanki, Pawan Pandey from Ayodhya and Kamal Akhtar from Western Uttar Pradesh. When asked as to where Akhilesh will contest the elections, Mulayam said,” He can contest elections from anywhere he wants.” The list includes names which are controversial and team Akhilesh wanted them out of the power structure because of their antecedents. It includes dreaded don Atiq Ahmad from Kanpur Cant and Sibagtullah Ansari from Mohamdabad. Sibagtullah is elder brother of Muqthar Ansari again a noted don from the eastern Uttar Pradesh. (WION)

Uttar Pradesh elections: Ruling Samajwadi Party pulls plug on pre-poll alliance talks

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) that is in power in India&#39;s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday announced the expulsion of his son, state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, from the party for six years. He had earlier in the day expelled his cousin, senior party functionary Ramgopal Yadav, for six years after he announced an emergency meeting on January 1.

The surprise move comes after Akhilesh &quot;circulated&quot; his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming state elections parallel to the party&#39;s official list of 393 nominees. The election in Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the largest regional election in India. Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal were slapped with showcause notices by the party.

On Thursday, Mulayam had released a list of election candidate without consulting Akhilesh, and refused to name his son as the chief ministerial candidate. Mulayam had also excluded people who are believed to be close to Akhilesh.&nbsp;

Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Singh Gope are members of the pro-Akhilesh group who have been left out of the candidates&#39; list.

&quot;We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal,&quot; Mulayam said while announcing Akhilesh&#39;s expulsion.

&quot;How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates.&nbsp;Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work,&quot; Mulayam said.

He said Ramgopal has not only indulged in indiscipline, but was causing harm to the party. &quot;As of now we have expelled him, but we will take further action against him,&quot; the party chief asserted.

Ramgopal has called the expulsion &quot;unconstitutional&quot;.

Akhilesh has asked his lawmakers to attend a party meet at 9 am tomorrow (December 31).

On a day of fast-moving developments, hordes of frenzied Akhilesh supporters, especially the youth, thronged his residence to express their support.

The timing of the announcement also underscored the fault lines in the family-led party, prompting &nbsp;&quot;pari-war&quot; memes that play on the Hindi word for family. The SP candidates&#39; list was announced when Akhilesh was away in Bundelkhand in southern UP.

The father-son trust hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle, Shivpal Yadav.&nbsp;

UP poll results become crucial for the Indian polity because of the ramifications it holds for the ruling party in power at the national level. The Bharatiya Janata Party, for instance, is focused on improving its tally of MPs (Members of Parliament) in the state as that will improve its numbers in Rajya Sabha, or the Upper House of Parliament, and facilitate the smooth clearance of legislation.

Earlier, Mulayam had called a meeting on Saturday of all those allotted tickets by him even as the Akhilesh camp remained adamant on contesting against the official candidates of the party.

Mulayam had reportedly attempted to avert a split after the crisis reached a stalemate last night when Akhilesh &quot;circulated&quot; his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party&#39;s official list had named 393 nominees.

Uttar Pradesh assembly has 403 seats.&nbsp;The battle for control in SP has left grassroots cadres confused about their leadership.

Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh&#39;s acrimonious uncle, met his brother Mulayam for nearly an hour this morning. Shivpal, however, did not respond to questions from journalists waiting outside Mulayam&#39;s residence.

Mulayam&#39;s cousin and SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who is an Akhilesh supporter, had said there was no question of going back on the list prepared by the chief minister.

He also said that many in the party did not want to see Akhilesh as chief minister again which is being seen by many as a veiled swipe at Shivpal Yadav.

&quot;The fact remains that people of the state want him back as CM,&quot; he claimed.

He said Mulayam had convened a meeting on January 1 to take a final call on ticket distribution, &quot;but due to pressure (from Shivpal)&quot;, he announced the list on December 28.

Akhilesh&#39;s list, which was not signed, was circulated on social media last night by party MLAs who failed to find a mention in the official list.

Party observers said it would be interesting to observe if the 170-180 candidates, who figure in both lists, attend Mulayam&#39;s meeting or opt out.

Akhilesh, who was present at an official function here this morning, did not take questions from journalists.

Although those candidates owing allegiance to Akhilesh expressed their intention to contest polls &quot;in the name of and as the face of the CM&quot;, it was still not clear whether they would float a new party.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

Akhilesh Yadav has been expelled for six years for openly disputing poll candidates list after months of political knuckle-baring

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) that is in power in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday announced the expulsion of his son, state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, from the party for six years. He had earlier in the day expelled his cousin, senior party functionary Ramgopal Yadav, for six years after he announced an emergency meeting on January 1. The surprise move comes after Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming state elections parallel to the party's official list of 393 nominees. The election in Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the largest regional election in India. Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal were slapped with showcause notices by the party. On Thursday, Mulayam had released a list of election candidate without consulting Akhilesh, and refused to name his son as the chief ministerial candidate. Mulayam had also excluded people who are believed to be close to Akhilesh. Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Singh Gope are members of the pro-Akhilesh group who have been left out of the candidates' list. "We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal," Mulayam said while announcing Akhilesh's expulsion. "How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates. Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam said. He said Ramgopal has not only indulged in indiscipline, but was causing harm to the party. "As of now we have expelled him, but we will take further action against him," the party chief asserted. Ramgopal has called the expulsion "unconstitutional". Akhilesh has asked his lawmakers to attend a party meet at 9 am tomorrow (December 31). On a day of fast-moving developments, hordes of frenzied Akhilesh supporters, especially the youth, thronged his residence to express their support. The timing of the announcement also underscored the fault lines in the family-led party, prompting "pari-war" memes that play on the Hindi word for family. The SP candidates' list was announced when Akhilesh was away in Bundelkhand in southern UP. The father-son trust hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle, Shivpal Yadav. UP poll results become crucial for the Indian polity because of the ramifications it holds for the ruling party in power at the national level. The Bharatiya Janata Party, for instance, is focused on improving its tally of MPs (Members of Parliament) in the state as that will improve its numbers in Rajya Sabha, or the Upper House of Parliament, and facilitate the smooth clearance of legislation. Earlier, Mulayam had called a meeting on Saturday of all those allotted tickets by him even as the Akhilesh camp remained adamant on contesting against the official candidates of the party. Mulayam had reportedly attempted to avert a split after the crisis reached a stalemate last night when Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party's official list had named 393 nominees. Uttar Pradesh assembly has 403 seats. The battle for control in SP has left grassroots cadres confused about their leadership. Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh's acrimonious uncle, met his brother Mulayam for nearly an hour this morning. Shivpal, however, did not respond to questions from journalists waiting outside Mulayam's residence. Mulayam's cousin and SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who is an Akhilesh supporter, had said there was no question of going back on the list prepared by the chief minister. He also said that many in the party did not want to see Akhilesh as chief minister again which is being seen by many as a veiled swipe at Shivpal Yadav. "The fact remains that people of the state want him back as CM," he claimed. He said Mulayam had convened a meeting on January 1 to take a final call on ticket distribution, "but due to pressure (from Shivpal)", he announced the list on December 28. Akhilesh's list, which was not signed, was circulated on social media last night by party MLAs who failed to find a mention in the official list. Party observers said it would be interesting to observe if the 170-180 candidates, who figure in both lists, attend Mulayam's meeting or opt out. Akhilesh, who was present at an official function here this morning, did not take questions from journalists. Although those candidates owing allegiance to Akhilesh expressed their intention to contest polls "in the name of and as the face of the CM", it was still not clear whether they would float a new party. (WION with inputs from PTI)

UP elections: Ruling Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expels son and state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav

Mulayam Singh Yadav, patriarch of Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling Samajwadi Party indicated on Monday that he wanted to end the ongoing feud within the party, stating that his son Akhilesh was the face of the party for the upcoming elections in the state.&nbsp;

Mulayam Singh told news agency ANI that the party was united and would soon campaign as one in the state.

&quot;For the benefit of the entire state, our party stands united. There is no question of any division whatsoever in the party and we will begin campaigning soon. Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, there is no doubt about that,&quot; he told ANI.

SP is in the middle of an intense power struggle with Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav on one side and Mulayam`s son, Akhilesh, and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav on the other.

The warring factions had taken their dispute all the way to the Election Commission, staking their claim on the party&#39;s election symbol, the &#39;cycle&#39;. 
 
He was accompanied by his brother Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh, both senior leaders of the party who are being held responsible for the infighting within the party by the Akhilesh camp.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is no rift between me and my son Akhilesh Yadav. My son is being provoked by one person,&quot; Mulayam Singh said after emerging from a meeting with the Election Commission in New Delhi today.&nbsp;

&quot;There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud. Am sure that issues will be resolved,&quot; Mulayam Singh said in an apparent reference to his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav.

He had also said that the Election Commission will decide on which faction would have claim over the party&#39;s symbol, the cycle.

Ram Gopal Yadav, the party&#39;s general secretary, had called a national executive meet earlier this month and declared Akhilesh Yadav as the party&#39;s national president in place of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

In his meeting with the Election Commission, Mulayam Singh also contested the affidavits of party leaders submitted by the faction owing allegiance to his son, alleging they were forged and asked the EC to get them verified.

The Akhilesh-led camp represented by Ram Gopal had on Saturday submitted an affidavit to the EC affirming that Samajwadi Party leaders were supporting the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. Ram Gopal had said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh.

Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, wrote&nbsp;a letter to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) chairman, Hamid Ansari,&nbsp;asking him to expel&nbsp;Ram Gopal Yadav from the SP and as leader of the party in the Upper House, PTI reported on Monday.&nbsp;He also urged Ansari to shift Ramgopal&#39;s seat to the back benches following his expulsion from the party.

Sources in the party told PTI the letter informed the Rajya Sabha secretariat that Ram Gopal was expelled from the party for six years on 30 December, 2016 and ceased to be leader of SP&#39;s Parliamentary Party in the Upper House.

Party sources said he also told the Election Commission that the national convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav was unconstitutional. He also said that while there was a resolution appointing Akhilesh as party president and another one appointing him as its mentor, there was no resolution removing him from the party chief&#39;s post. 
 
The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases beginning February 11.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Samajwadi Party patriarch said the party was united and would soon campaign as one in the state

Mulayam Singh Yadav, patriarch of Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party indicated on Monday that he wanted to end the ongoing feud within the party, stating that his son Akhilesh was the face of the party for the upcoming elections in the state. Mulayam Singh told news agency ANI that the party was united and would soon campaign as one in the state. "For the benefit of the entire state, our party stands united. There is no question of any division whatsoever in the party and we will begin campaigning soon. Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, there is no doubt about that," he told ANI. SP is in the middle of an intense power struggle with Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav on one side and Mulayam`s son, Akhilesh, and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav on the other. The warring factions had taken their dispute all the way to the Election Commission, staking their claim on the party's election symbol, the 'cycle'. He was accompanied by his brother Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh, both senior leaders of the party who are being held responsible for the infighting within the party by the Akhilesh camp. "There is no rift between me and my son Akhilesh Yadav. My son is being provoked by one person," Mulayam Singh said after emerging from a meeting with the Election Commission in New Delhi today. "There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud. Am sure that issues will be resolved," Mulayam Singh said in an apparent reference to his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav. He had also said that the Election Commission will decide on which faction would have claim over the party's symbol, the cycle. Ram Gopal Yadav, the party's general secretary, had called a national executive meet earlier this month and declared Akhilesh Yadav as the party's national president in place of Mulayam Singh Yadav. In his meeting with the Election Commission, Mulayam Singh also contested the affidavits of party leaders submitted by the faction owing allegiance to his son, alleging they were forged and asked the EC to get them verified. The Akhilesh-led camp represented by Ram Gopal had on Saturday submitted an affidavit to the EC affirming that Samajwadi Party leaders were supporting the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. Ram Gopal had said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh. Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, wrote a letter to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) chairman, Hamid Ansari, asking him to expel Ram Gopal Yadav from the SP and as leader of the party in the Upper House, PTI reported on Monday. He also urged Ansari to shift Ramgopal's seat to the back benches following his expulsion from the party. Sources in the party told PTI the letter informed the Rajya Sabha secretariat that Ram Gopal was expelled from the party for six years on 30 December, 2016 and ceased to be leader of SP's Parliamentary Party in the Upper House. Party sources said he also told the Election Commission that the national convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav was unconstitutional. He also said that while there was a resolution appointing Akhilesh as party president and another one appointing him as its mentor, there was no resolution removing him from the party chief's post. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases beginning February 11. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Akhilesh will be chief minister after elections, no question of Samajwadi Party splitting: Mulayam Singh

The Samajwadi Party and Congress have confirmed they will enter a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming assembly elections in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party, the ruling party of India&#39;s most populous state, said they remain keen on retaining &quot;secular values&quot; during the a press conference on Sunday evening.

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Congress and SP will contest Assembly Elections in UP together: Naresh Uttam, SP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPElection2017?src=hash">#UPElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/RLwVan9gjC">pic.twitter.com/RLwVan9gjC</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/823151374674247680">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Under the new agreement, Samajwadi Party will contest 298 seats and the Congress will have 105 seats to fight from in the upcoming polls, according to SP leader Naresh Uttam.

Ending speculations that were doing the rounds on the possibility of both the parties contesting the state elections together, the alliance&nbsp;was sealed after the Congress party settled for 105 seats instead of 121 which they had demanded earlier, ANI&nbsp;reported.

The Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Saturday, said that the final offer for the Congress party was 100 seats.

Congress general secretary Ahmed Patel said that Priyanka Gandhi intervened to end the deadlock over the alliance to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the politically crucial state.

&quot;Wrong to suggest lightweights were dealing on behalf of Congress party.&nbsp;Discussion was at highest level- between CM (UP),GS I/C &amp; Priyanka Gandhi,&quot; he tweeted.

Blaming the Congress for its &quot;stubborn&quot; attitude, the Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal on Saturday said the possibility of an alliance was &quot;almost over&quot;.

&quot;The Chief Minister (Akhilesh Yadav) had made an offer of 100 seats to the Congress, but they are asking for 120 seats. We told them that we have 234 sitting legislators and there are some others who will also contest. So, we need at least 300 seats for ourselves,&quot; Agarwal told ANI.

On Friday, Akhilesh Yadav announced the list of candidates for the first three phases of assembly elections. &nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh will go to polls beginning February 11 in seven phases. The results will be announced on March 11.

Mulayam skips SP&#39;s manifesto meet

Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party&#39;s Akhilesh Yadav released the manifesto Sunday, though&nbsp;Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal skipped the event, inflaming rumours of continued infighting.

Senior SP leader Azam Khan rushed to Mulayam&#39;s bungalow to bring him to the event. But even then the patriarch did not grace the occasion where senior party leaders and Dimple Yadav, MP and wife of the chief minister, were present.

The ruling party has been dogged by skirmishes for the past few weeks as father Mulayam and son Akhilesh were at each other&#39;s throats over a catalogue of issues.&nbsp;

The party was divided into two factions -- one led by Akhilesh and the other by Mulayam and his brother Shivpal. Both camps went all out to undermine each other&#39;s influence, only for a last-minute patch-up between the blocs.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Akhilesh spoke announced schemes which prioritises&nbsp;development of the state.

The SP manifesto announced distribution of laptops, Kanya Vidya Dhan, Samajwadi Pension, laying of Purvanchal Expressway, and establishing Janeshwar Mishra model villages besides improving helplines for police and women.

He said the model villages in the name of Janeshwar Mishra would be a tribute to the Samajwadi leader on his death anniversary today.

The Chief Minister, in his new role as the Samajwadi Party national president, directed all candidates to prepare a road map for development of their respective Assembly constituencies.

A highlight of the manifesto was Samajwadi Kisan Kosh for farmers to purchase seeds and fertilisers, perhaps to match the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Bima Yojana.

The Lucknow-based party also released a list of 77 candidates who would contest the ensuing elections.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The deadlock ended after the Congress settled for 105 seats instead of 121 which they had demanded earlier

The Samajwadi Party and Congress have confirmed they will enter a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming assembly elections in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party, the ruling party of India's most populous state, said they remain keen on retaining "secular values" during the a press conference on Sunday evening. Congress and SP will contest Assembly Elections in UP together: Naresh Uttam, SP #UPElection2017 pic.twitter.com/RLwVan9gjC — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 22, 2017 × Under the new agreement, Samajwadi Party will contest 298 seats and the Congress will have 105 seats to fight from in the upcoming polls, according to SP leader Naresh Uttam. Ending speculations that were doing the rounds on the possibility of both the parties contesting the state elections together, the alliance was sealed after the Congress party settled for 105 seats instead of 121 which they had demanded earlier, ANI reported. The Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Saturday, said that the final offer for the Congress party was 100 seats. Congress general secretary Ahmed Patel said that Priyanka Gandhi intervened to end the deadlock over the alliance to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the politically crucial state. "Wrong to suggest lightweights were dealing on behalf of Congress party. Discussion was at highest level- between CM (UP),GS I/C & Priyanka Gandhi," he tweeted. Blaming the Congress for its "stubborn" attitude, the Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal on Saturday said the possibility of an alliance was "almost over". "The Chief Minister (Akhilesh Yadav) had made an offer of 100 seats to the Congress, but they are asking for 120 seats. We told them that we have 234 sitting legislators and there are some others who will also contest. So, we need at least 300 seats for ourselves," Agarwal told ANI. On Friday, Akhilesh Yadav announced the list of candidates for the first three phases of assembly elections. Uttar Pradesh will go to polls beginning February 11 in seven phases. The results will be announced on March 11. Mulayam skips SP's manifesto meet Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav released the manifesto Sunday, though Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal skipped the event, inflaming rumours of continued infighting. Senior SP leader Azam Khan rushed to Mulayam's bungalow to bring him to the event. But even then the patriarch did not grace the occasion where senior party leaders and Dimple Yadav, MP and wife of the chief minister, were present. The ruling party has been dogged by skirmishes for the past few weeks as father Mulayam and son Akhilesh were at each other's throats over a catalogue of issues. The party was divided into two factions -- one led by Akhilesh and the other by Mulayam and his brother Shivpal. Both camps went all out to undermine each other's influence, only for a last-minute patch-up between the blocs. On Sunday, Akhilesh spoke announced schemes which prioritises development of the state. The SP manifesto announced distribution of laptops, Kanya Vidya Dhan, Samajwadi Pension, laying of Purvanchal Expressway, and establishing Janeshwar Mishra model villages besides improving helplines for police and women. He said the model villages in the name of Janeshwar Mishra would be a tribute to the Samajwadi leader on his death anniversary today. The Chief Minister, in his new role as the Samajwadi Party national president, directed all candidates to prepare a road map for development of their respective Assembly constituencies. A highlight of the manifesto was Samajwadi Kisan Kosh for farmers to purchase seeds and fertilisers, perhaps to match the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Bima Yojana. The Lucknow-based party also released a list of 77 candidates who would contest the ensuing elections. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uttar Pradesh elections: Congress, Samajwadi Party announce alliance

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said there will be a Congress-SP alliance in the upcoming UP elections. There are also reports of a grand alliance of the Samajwadi Party, Congress, RLD and JD(U) &nbsp;for the high-stakes poll.

Azad&#39;s colleague, Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress&#39; chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon.&nbsp;

The development comes after the Election Commission had on Monday granted the disputed &#39;cycle&#39; symbol of the Samajwadi Party to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission declared the group led by Akhilesh Yadav to&nbsp;be&nbsp;the Samajwadi Party,&nbsp;entitled to use the &#39;bicycle&#39; symbol. It also acknowledged Akhilesh Yadav as the national president of the Samajwadi Party.

Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is set to begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11. As many as seventy-three constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase.

The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj. Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8.

(WION with Agency inputs) 
&nbsp;

There are also reports of a grand alliance between the Samajwadi Party, Congress, RLD and JD(U)

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has said there will be a Congress-SP alliance in the upcoming UP elections. There are also reports of a grand alliance of the Samajwadi Party, Congress, RLD and JD(U) for the high-stakes poll. Azad's colleague, Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon. The development comes after the Election Commission had on Monday granted the disputed 'cycle' symbol of the Samajwadi Party to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. In a major setback to Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission declared the group led by Akhilesh Yadav to be the Samajwadi Party, entitled to use the 'bicycle' symbol. It also acknowledged Akhilesh Yadav as the national president of the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the poll process for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is set to begin today with notification for the first phase of voting scheduled on February 11. As many as seventy-three constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase. The districts going to polls in the first phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj. Uttar Pradesh will have seven-phase polling between February 11 and March 8. (WION with Agency inputs)

UP election: Congress & SP will fight UP polls together, says Azad

Elections in India&#39;s largest state are around the corner, but the ruling party&#39;s preparation has been wracked with confusion as it has failed to forge a&nbsp;pre-poll alliance that it expected to have cobbled together by now.

India&#39;s northern state of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls from February 11 onwards, making it the world&#39;s biggest election of the year as the state has a population of 200 million.

India&#39;s ruling party Samajwadi Party was initially expected to unite with the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal, or RLD, to take on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming polls.

But the plan seems to have come unstuck as SP ruled out an alliance with RLD on Thursday (January 19)&nbsp;and the party&#39;s seat-sharing deal today (January 20) with the Congress has put a question mark on their seemingly impending partnership.&nbsp;There were further disturbances in the contours of the so-called &#39;grand alliance&#39; as the Congress has refused to cast away the Rashtriya Lok Dal, with its spokesperson RS Surjewala Thursday&nbsp;saying it was &quot;premature&quot; to talk about any coalition at the moment. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

On Friday, SP said they could only give 85 of the 403 Assembly seats to the Congress, which did not evoke a &quot;positive response&quot; from the other side.

The SP came to the conclusion after devising a formula, wherein Congress received seats where they were in first place in the last elections or where the Samajwadi Party came third, fourth or fifth.

&ldquo;Thus, the Congress will get 54 seats. But if it (Congress) talks seriously, we can also give them 25-30 additional seats. The maximum seats we can give to them will be 85,&rdquo;&nbsp;SP national vice-president Kironmay Nanda told reporters after the party released its first list of 191 candidates.

The possibility of an alliance has been further dented after Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling party decided to field their candidates on seats that were won by the Congress in the 2012 polls. But when one of the reporters pointed this fact out, Nanda said: &quot;If alliance takes place, the SP will withdraw its candidates from those seats.&rdquo; &nbsp;

Nanda also said the Congress should unite with them as that would give them a good chance of beating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the high-stakes battle that has gripped India&#39;s most populous state.

SP&#39;s lone bright spot

In a move that could indicate a reconciliation between the rival factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav in the SP, the list of 191 candidates that was announced by the party saw the name of Akhilesh&#39;s uncle Shivpal Yadav, who belongs to the faction led by Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP released an additional list of 18 candidates later in the day (January 20).&nbsp;

The list bears the stamp of the state&#39;s chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as many of his picks have found mention among those whose names were declared. Veteran SP leader and cabinet minister Azam Khan, who is close to Mulayam Singh Yadav, has also been given a ticket from his pocket borough of Rampur, while his son Abdullah Azam has been given a&nbsp;ticket to contest the Swar seat in the Rampur district.

Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav will release the election manifesto on January 22, ANI reported.

RLD announces alliance with JD-U, other parties 
 
The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) today (January 20) decided to contest all the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and 10 smaller parties, PTI reported.

The other parties include Rashtriya Samanta Dal, Rashtriya Apna Dal, Hamari Apni Party, Rashtriya Kranti Party, and the Bhartiya Vanchit Samaj party.

&quot;We will contest all the 403 seats in alliance with JD(U) and 10 smaller parties,&quot; RLD state unit chief Masood Ahmad Ahmad announced.

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Ruling Samajwadi Party has offered only 85 election tickets to the Congress, eliciting a negative response from the other side

Elections in India's largest state are around the corner, but the ruling party's preparation has been wracked with confusion as it has failed to forge a pre-poll alliance that it expected to have cobbled together by now. India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls from February 11 onwards, making it the world's biggest election of the year as the state has a population of 200 million. India's ruling party Samajwadi Party was initially expected to unite with the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal, or RLD, to take on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming polls. But the plan seems to have come unstuck as SP ruled out an alliance with RLD on Thursday (January 19) and the party's seat-sharing deal today (January 20) with the Congress has put a question mark on their seemingly impending partnership. There were further disturbances in the contours of the so-called 'grand alliance' as the Congress has refused to cast away the Rashtriya Lok Dal, with its spokesperson RS Surjewala Thursday saying it was "premature" to talk about any coalition at the moment. On Friday, SP said they could only give 85 of the 403 Assembly seats to the Congress, which did not evoke a "positive response" from the other side. The SP came to the conclusion after devising a formula, wherein Congress received seats where they were in first place in the last elections or where the Samajwadi Party came third, fourth or fifth. “Thus, the Congress will get 54 seats. But if it (Congress) talks seriously, we can also give them 25-30 additional seats. The maximum seats we can give to them will be 85,” SP national vice-president Kironmay Nanda told reporters after the party released its first list of 191 candidates. The possibility of an alliance has been further dented after Uttar Pradesh's ruling party decided to field their candidates on seats that were won by the Congress in the 2012 polls. But when one of the reporters pointed this fact out, Nanda said: "If alliance takes place, the SP will withdraw its candidates from those seats.” Nanda also said the Congress should unite with them as that would give them a good chance of beating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the high-stakes battle that has gripped India's most populous state. SP's lone bright spot In a move that could indicate a reconciliation between the rival factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav in the SP, the list of 191 candidates that was announced by the party saw the name of Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Yadav, who belongs to the faction led by Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP released an additional list of 18 candidates later in the day (January 20). The list bears the stamp of the state's chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as many of his picks have found mention among those whose names were declared. Veteran SP leader and cabinet minister Azam Khan, who is close to Mulayam Singh Yadav, has also been given a ticket from his pocket borough of Rampur, while his son Abdullah Azam has been given a ticket to contest the Swar seat in the Rampur district. Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav will release the election manifesto on January 22, ANI reported. RLD announces alliance with JD-U, other parties The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) today (January 20) decided to contest all the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and 10 smaller parties, PTI reported. The other parties include Rashtriya Samanta Dal, Rashtriya Apna Dal, Hamari Apni Party, Rashtriya Kranti Party, and the Bhartiya Vanchit Samaj party. "We will contest all the 403 seats in alliance with JD(U) and 10 smaller parties," RLD state unit chief Masood Ahmad Ahmad announced. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uttar Pradesh polls: Cracks in 'grand alliance' talks after ruling party's seat-sharing formula

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to defer presentation of the Union Budget till the completion of the poll process in five states.

The letter sent to the prime minister earlier this week cited the Election Commission directive on January 23 asking the Central government not to announce any specific scheme for the five states going to polls in keeping with the model code of conduct.

The chief minister said that this may deprive Uttar Pradesh, having the maximum population in the country, of special schemes in the Union Budget which would have a direct impact on state&#39;s development and interest of 20 crore people.

Yadav recalled that in February-March 2012, the then government had taken a decision to defer the budget on its own till the completion of the poll process at that time.

&quot;In my capacity as the representative of the people of the state I request you think about deferring the Budget till after the elections so that the development of the state and schemes in the interests of the people could be announced,&quot; he added.

The Supreme Court had ruled recently that the government does not need to move the budget from February 1 to a date after elections are held in five states.

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will be held between February 4 and March 8.

(PTI)

The chief minister said doing so may deprive UP of special schemes in the Union Budget, which would have a direct impact on state's interest

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to defer presentation of the Union Budget till the completion of the poll process in five states. The letter sent to the prime minister earlier this week cited the Election Commission directive on January 23 asking the Central government not to announce any specific scheme for the five states going to polls in keeping with the model code of conduct. The chief minister said that this may deprive Uttar Pradesh, having the maximum population in the country, of special schemes in the Union Budget which would have a direct impact on state's development and interest of 20 crore people. Yadav recalled that in February-March 2012, the then government had taken a decision to defer the budget on its own till the completion of the poll process at that time. "In my capacity as the representative of the people of the state I request you think about deferring the Budget till after the elections so that the development of the state and schemes in the interests of the people could be announced," he added. The Supreme Court had ruled recently that the government does not need to move the budget from February 1 to a date after elections are held in five states. Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur will be held between February 4 and March 8. (PTI)

India: Akhilesh writes to PM Modi, wants Budget presentation after polls

Hours after Samajwadi Party (SP) de facto leader Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi held their first joint press conference, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav said will not campaign for the party.

Mulayam Singh, who had resolved an inter-party feud with son Akhilesh over the distribution of seats this month, told ANI on Sunday he was against the alliance.

&quot;I will not go anywhere to campaign for this (SP-Congress) alliance. SP was capable enough to contest and win elections alone, there was no need for the alliance. I am against this alliance,&quot; the SP founder told ANI.

He seemed to be upset over the SP conceding 105 seats to the Congress, saying he was concerned about the political fate of party leaders who had lost their seats as a part of the alliance deal.

&quot;Our party leaders whose tickets have been cut, what will they do? They have lost their chance to contest elections for the next five years,&quot; Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed their first joint conference after an alliance between their parties for the high-stakes state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two leaders launched the campaign with the&nbsp;tagline&nbsp;&quot;UP favours this alliance (UP ko ye saath pasand hai).&quot; The press conference was followed by a road show in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

The two leaders displayed a show of solidarity, with Rahul Gandhi claiming that their relationship was not just political but also a personal one. The Congress vice-president had also called Akhilesh a &quot;good boy&quot; who wasn&#39;t &quot;allowed to work&quot;.

&quot;We are like two wheels of the same cycle - one of progress and one of prosperity. Cycle and hand is a great combination,&quot; Akhilesh had said.

Rahul Gandhi had also refused to reveal whether his mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Mulayam Singh would campaign for the alliance, saying that campaign strategy would be divulged.

&quot;If we reveal anything now,&nbsp;no suspense will remain,&quot; Akhilesh had said when asked about the seat-sharing in the constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi, earlier a point of contention between the two parties. 
 
(WION with inputs from ANI)

The Samajwadi Party patriarch's remarks come soon after Akhilesh Yadav's joint press conference and show of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi

Hours after Samajwadi Party (SP) de facto leader Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi held their first joint press conference, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav said will not campaign for the party. Mulayam Singh, who had resolved an inter-party feud with son Akhilesh over the distribution of seats this month, told ANI on Sunday he was against the alliance. "I will not go anywhere to campaign for this (SP-Congress) alliance. SP was capable enough to contest and win elections alone, there was no need for the alliance. I am against this alliance," the SP founder told ANI. He seemed to be upset over the SP conceding 105 seats to the Congress, saying he was concerned about the political fate of party leaders who had lost their seats as a part of the alliance deal. "Our party leaders whose tickets have been cut, what will they do? They have lost their chance to contest elections for the next five years," Mulayam Singh Yadav said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed their first joint conference after an alliance between their parties for the high-stakes state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two leaders launched the campaign with the tagline "UP favours this alliance (UP ko ye saath pasand hai)." The press conference was followed by a road show in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow. The two leaders displayed a show of solidarity, with Rahul Gandhi claiming that their relationship was not just political but also a personal one. The Congress vice-president had also called Akhilesh a "good boy" who wasn't "allowed to work". "We are like two wheels of the same cycle - one of progress and one of prosperity. Cycle and hand is a great combination," Akhilesh had said. Rahul Gandhi had also refused to reveal whether his mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Mulayam Singh would campaign for the alliance, saying that campaign strategy would be divulged. "If we reveal anything now, no suspense will remain," Akhilesh had said when asked about the seat-sharing in the constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi, earlier a point of contention between the two parties. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Against Congress-SP alliance, won't campaign for them: Mulayam Singh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed their first joint conference after an alliance between their parties for the high-stakes state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two leaders launched the campaign with the&nbsp;tagline&nbsp;&quot;UP favours this alliance (UP ko ye saath pasand hai).&quot; The press conference was followed by a road show in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

Here are the highlights from their address:&nbsp;

Akhilesh Yadav and I don&#39;t just have a political relationship, but also a personal one. Our alliance will truly help Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi 
 
The alliance has made the personal and political relationship between Akhilesh and me better: Rahul Gandhi

I had said Akhilesh is a good boy, but he wasn&#39;t allowed to work: Rahul Gandhi

Campaign strategy will not be divulged: Rahul Gandhi on whether mother Sonia, Akhilesh&#39;s father Mulayam Singh would campaign&nbsp;

Priyanka (sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) has been of tremendous help to me and I have been so to her, if she campaigns or not is her choice; she is an asset to Congress: Rahul Gandhi 
 
Whether we will form an alliance in Lok Sabha or not is open to discussion: Rahul Gandhi

This is people&#39;s alliance. Rahul Gandhi and I know each other. It is a matter of happiness that we will now also work together: Akhilesh Yadav

We are like two wheels of the same cycle - one of progress and one of prosperity. Cycle and hand is a great combination: Akhilesh Yadav

If we reveal anything now,&nbsp;no suspense will remain: Akhilesh on seat-sharing in constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi&nbsp; 
 
This alliance isn&#39;t opportunistic: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh will&nbsp;vote for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election between February 11 and March 8. Out of the 403 assembly seats, Congress will contest 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will field its candidates in the remaining 298 seats. 
 
(WION)

"If we reveal anything now,?no suspense will remain," said Akhilesh on seat-sharing in constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi?

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed their first joint conference after an alliance between their parties for the high-stakes state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two leaders launched the campaign with the tagline "UP favours this alliance (UP ko ye saath pasand hai)." The press conference was followed by a road show in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow. Here are the highlights from their address: Akhilesh Yadav and I don't just have a political relationship, but also a personal one. Our alliance will truly help Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi The alliance has made the personal and political relationship between Akhilesh and me better: Rahul Gandhi I had said Akhilesh is a good boy, but he wasn't allowed to work: Rahul Gandhi Campaign strategy will not be divulged: Rahul Gandhi on whether mother Sonia, Akhilesh's father Mulayam Singh would campaign Priyanka (sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) has been of tremendous help to me and I have been so to her, if she campaigns or not is her choice; she is an asset to Congress: Rahul Gandhi Whether we will form an alliance in Lok Sabha or not is open to discussion: Rahul Gandhi This is people's alliance. Rahul Gandhi and I know each other. It is a matter of happiness that we will now also work together: Akhilesh Yadav We are like two wheels of the same cycle - one of progress and one of prosperity. Cycle and hand is a great combination: Akhilesh Yadav If we reveal anything now, no suspense will remain: Akhilesh on seat-sharing in constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi This alliance isn't opportunistic: Akhilesh Yadav Uttar Pradesh will vote for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election between February 11 and March 8. Out of the 403 assembly seats, Congress will contest 105 seats and the Samajwadi Party will field its candidates in the remaining 298 seats. (WION)

Akhilesh and I like 2 wheels of a cycle: Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh CM's first address post alliance

By Iftikhar Gilani

Despite the two parties sealing an electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh, leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are still at loggerheads over seat sharing, particularly in Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies, which are the bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The two parties have failed to reach an agreement over 10 seats which fall in the two Lok Sabha constituencies. While the Amethi Parliamentary seat is held by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Rae Bareli is represented by his mother and party President Sonia Gandhi.

Citing a general understanding between chief minister Akhilesh Singh and Gandhi scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that sitting MLAs would not be disturbed, the SP has announced candidates for seven of those 10 seats, where it is already in power, leaving just three for its alliance partner. In retaliation, the Congress is now preparing to declare candidates for all 10 seats that it claims as its own and a reference point for the revival of the party&rsquo;s fortune in this critical state.

In the 2012 Assembly election, SP had won three seats in Amethi and four seats in Rae Bareli. The Congress won just two seats in Amethi but drew a blank in Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s constituency.

Congress workers, who had been preparing to regain those seats, are reportedly offended at getting just three seats. To add insult to injury, the SP has fielded known Sonia and Rahul baiters Gayatri Prasad Prajapati from Amethi and Rakesh Pratap Singh from Garuriganj. In Rae Bareli, it has nominated Asha Kishore from Salon, Devendra Pratap Singh from Sareni and Manoj Kumar Pandey from Unchahar. All of them are currently MLAs.

Sources say local Congress workers have refused to campaign for these SP candidates. Admitting difficulties, Deepak Singh, an Amethi native and Congress Member of the Legislative Council, said he and other workers have over the past five years highlighted misdeeds and lack of commitment of the SP MLAs.

&ldquo;With what face will we now go door to door and ask people to vote for them?&rdquo; he questions.

Meanwhile, sources say the issue is not only about the Nehru-Gandhi bastions, but that confusion reigns over other seats as well.

After several rounds of negotiations in Lucknow over the Amethi-Rae Bareli seats, the squabbling has now reached the national capital, with Congress leaders asking Priyanka to intervene. Congress leaders say they gave up their claim on the Lucknow Cantonment seat, a party bastion, in order to accommodate Yadav family daughter-in-law Aparna. Party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad said there was still time left to decide on these seats, as they are going to polls in phase IV and V on February 23 and 27 respectively.

SP leaders point out that in 2012, despite Priyanka Gandhi&rsquo;s strenuous campaigning, Congress could retain only Jagdishpur and Tiloi seats under the Amethi parliamentary constituency. It lost all five Assembly constituencies in Rae Bareli, while the SP won four. Only Rae Bareli Sadar was won by Peace Party candidate Akhilesh Singh, whose daughter recently joined the Congress.

Tussle of two

Congress has so far officially declared 68 candidates for the 105 seats that the SP has ceded to it. In the first phase both parties have fielded candidates in as many as seven seats. In Koil seat in Aligarh district, which covers the Aligarh Muslim University and city suburbs as well as nearby Khair seats, both parties have fielded candidates

(This article first appeared in DNA)

The bone of contention is 10 seats in the Congress pocket boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli

By Iftikhar Gilani Despite the two parties sealing an electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh, leaders of both the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are still at loggerheads over seat sharing, particularly in Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies, which are the bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. The two parties have failed to reach an agreement over 10 seats which fall in the two Lok Sabha constituencies. While the Amethi Parliamentary seat is held by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Rae Bareli is represented by his mother and party President Sonia Gandhi. Citing a general understanding between chief minister Akhilesh Singh and Gandhi scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that sitting MLAs would not be disturbed, the SP has announced candidates for seven of those 10 seats, where it is already in power, leaving just three for its alliance partner. In retaliation, the Congress is now preparing to declare candidates for all 10 seats that it claims as its own and a reference point for the revival of the party’s fortune in this critical state. In the 2012 Assembly election, SP had won three seats in Amethi and four seats in Rae Bareli. The Congress won just two seats in Amethi but drew a blank in Sonia Gandhi’s constituency. Congress workers, who had been preparing to regain those seats, are reportedly offended at getting just three seats. To add insult to injury, the SP has fielded known Sonia and Rahul baiters Gayatri Prasad Prajapati from Amethi and Rakesh Pratap Singh from Garuriganj. In Rae Bareli, it has nominated Asha Kishore from Salon, Devendra Pratap Singh from Sareni and Manoj Kumar Pandey from Unchahar. All of them are currently MLAs. Sources say local Congress workers have refused to campaign for these SP candidates. Admitting difficulties, Deepak Singh, an Amethi native and Congress Member of the Legislative Council, said he and other workers have over the past five years highlighted misdeeds and lack of commitment of the SP MLAs. “With what face will we now go door to door and ask people to vote for them?” he questions. Meanwhile, sources say the issue is not only about the Nehru-Gandhi bastions, but that confusion reigns over other seats as well. After several rounds of negotiations in Lucknow over the Amethi-Rae Bareli seats, the squabbling has now reached the national capital, with Congress leaders asking Priyanka to intervene. Congress leaders say they gave up their claim on the Lucknow Cantonment seat, a party bastion, in order to accommodate Yadav family daughter-in-law Aparna. Party general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad said there was still time left to decide on these seats, as they are going to polls in phase IV and V on February 23 and 27 respectively. SP leaders point out that in 2012, despite Priyanka Gandhi’s strenuous campaigning, Congress could retain only Jagdishpur and Tiloi seats under the Amethi parliamentary constituency. It lost all five Assembly constituencies in Rae Bareli, while the SP won four. Only Rae Bareli Sadar was won by Peace Party candidate Akhilesh Singh, whose daughter recently joined the Congress. Tussle of two Congress has so far officially declared 68 candidates for the 105 seats that the SP has ceded to it. In the first phase both parties have fielded candidates in as many as seven seats. In Koil seat in Aligarh district, which covers the Aligarh Muslim University and city suburbs as well as nearby Khair seats, both parties have fielded candidates (This article first appeared in DNA)

UP elections: Alliance done but SP, Cong continue to bicker over seat sharing

One of about a dozen women who previously accused President-elect Donald Trump of making unwanted sexual advances filed a lawsuit against him in New York on Tuesday, alleging he had made false and defamatory statements about her in rejecting the accusation, causing her emotional and economic harm.

The lawsuit filed by Summer Zervos, a one-time contestant on Trump&#39;s reality television show &quot;The Apprentice,&quot; is focused on a stream of denials Trump aimed at her and other women accusers last October, just weeks before the November 8 presidential election, when Zervos and others came forward to accuse the then-candidate of making unwanted sexual advances.

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks called the allegations &quot;absurd.&quot;

&ldquo;More of the same from Gloria Allred,&quot; said Hicks, referring to Zervos&#39; high-profile attorney. &quot;There is no truth to this absurd story.&quot;

At the time the women made their allegations, Trump, a Republican, who went on to win the election and who takes office on Friday, adamantly denied all the accusations in posts on Twitter, statements, interviews and comments at rallies. He suggested at one rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 14 that the accusers were fabricating their stories for publicity or to damage his campaign.

With regard to Zervos specifically, Trump told the rally in Charlotte just hours after she made her allegations that it was &quot;not hard to find a small handful of people willing to make false smears for personal fame, who knows maybe for financial reasons, political purposes,&rdquo; according to the lawsuit.

&quot;Mr. Trump&#39;s false, defamatory statements about Ms. Zervos &ndash; that, among other things, she made up her descriptions of Mr&nbsp;Trump&#39;s misconduct as a hoax, and that she is creating a &#39;phony&#39; story just so that she can be famous &ndash; have been deeply detrimental to Ms. Zervos&#39;s reputation, honor and dignity,&rdquo; the lawsuit stated.

At a news conference in Los Angeles announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday, Zervos said she wanted Trump to apologise.

&quot;Since Mr. Trump has not issued a retraction as I requested, he has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation,&quot; Zervos said. Her lawsuit said she was seeking &quot;all possible remedies,&quot; including the apology and retraction&nbsp;from Trump.

Allred, who also represents a number of women who have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, raised the possibility at the news conference that Trump might be required to give a deposition in the case.

The lawsuit said Trump kissed Zervos without her consent at his office in New York in December 2007 and later at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, kissed her, touched her breast and tried to get her to lie on a bed during a meeting about a possible job. She and the other women came forward after a video from 2005 surfaced showing Trump boasting of making unwanted advances toward women including grabbing women by the genitals &ndash; a video that he later apologised for but said was simply &ldquo;locker room talk&rdquo; and was not his actual behaviour.

(Reuters)

Some say it is the right move, will give them a shot at power, others raise slogans against party leadership & alliance

One of about a dozen women who previously accused President-elect Donald Trump of making unwanted sexual advances filed a lawsuit against him in New York on Tuesday, alleging he had made false and defamatory statements about her in rejecting the accusation, causing her emotional and economic harm. The lawsuit filed by Summer Zervos, a one-time contestant on Trump's reality television show "The Apprentice," is focused on a stream of denials Trump aimed at her and other women accusers last October, just weeks before the November 8 presidential election, when Zervos and others came forward to accuse the then-candidate of making unwanted sexual advances. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks called the allegations "absurd." “More of the same from Gloria Allred," said Hicks, referring to Zervos' high-profile attorney. "There is no truth to this absurd story." At the time the women made their allegations, Trump, a Republican, who went on to win the election and who takes office on Friday, adamantly denied all the accusations in posts on Twitter, statements, interviews and comments at rallies. He suggested at one rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 14 that the accusers were fabricating their stories for publicity or to damage his campaign. With regard to Zervos specifically, Trump told the rally in Charlotte just hours after she made her allegations that it was "not hard to find a small handful of people willing to make false smears for personal fame, who knows maybe for financial reasons, political purposes,” according to the lawsuit. "Mr. Trump's false, defamatory statements about Ms. Zervos – that, among other things, she made up her descriptions of Mr Trump's misconduct as a hoax, and that she is creating a 'phony' story just so that she can be famous – have been deeply detrimental to Ms. Zervos's reputation, honor and dignity,” the lawsuit stated. At a news conference in Los Angeles announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday, Zervos said she wanted Trump to apologise. "Since Mr. Trump has not issued a retraction as I requested, he has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation," Zervos said. Her lawsuit said she was seeking "all possible remedies," including the apology and retraction from Trump. Allred, who also represents a number of women who have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, raised the possibility at the news conference that Trump might be required to give a deposition in the case. The lawsuit said Trump kissed Zervos without her consent at his office in New York in December 2007 and later at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, kissed her, touched her breast and tried to get her to lie on a bed during a meeting about a possible job. She and the other women came forward after a video from 2005 surfaced showing Trump boasting of making unwanted advances toward women including grabbing women by the genitals – a video that he later apologised for but said was simply “locker room talk” and was not his actual behaviour. (Reuters)

UP elections: Congress workers divided over alliance with Samajwadi Party

Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed the caveat in the Supreme Court of India, prempting Akhilesh&#39;s father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in case he decides to challenge the Election Commission order.

A day after India&#39;s Election Commission granted the disputed &#39;cycle&#39; symbol of the Samajwadi Party (SP) to Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister visited his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh at his residence, describing his ties with him as &quot;unbreakable.&quot;

Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90 per cent of the candidates in both lists were common. He said his priority was to form the SP government in the upcoming assembly elections in the state and that he would take his father along.

&quot;I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...My relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It&#39;s a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon,&quot; Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence in state capital Lucknow.

However, the Akhilesh faction led by his mentor and uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed a caveat in the top court asking it not to pass any order challenging the Election Commission order without hearing their side.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also went into a huddle with his advisors, including Upper House legislators Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, strategising on an alliance with Congress, RLD and JD(U) for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

SP sources said the list of party candidates will be released in a day or two.

There were reports that the three parties could come out with a common minimum programme.

While Akhilesh said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad confirmed his party would ally with the SP in the upcoming UP elections.&nbsp;

&quot;The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two,&quot; Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow. His uncle and party strategist Ramgopal Yadav hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for polls.&nbsp;

&quot;I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh,&quot; All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the press in New Delhi.

Party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal said, &quot;Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days.&quot;

The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon. Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress&#39; chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the state.

The poll process kicked off today with a notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11.

Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in Akhilesh&#39;s favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with the Congress despite Akhilesh saying that an alliance between the two could fetch 300 of the state&#39;s 403 seats.

According to SP sources, the party will keep the majority of over 250 seats with itself. Congress was being offered around 90-100 seats by the SP, which was also said to be trying to rope in Ajit Singh&#39;s RLD. Rashtriya Lok Dal has pockets of influence in western UP which goes to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15.

Ramgopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are reportedly in talks to iron out differences over seat sharing between the two parties.

Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already begun.

Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, stayed put at his bungalow, hardly a stone&#39;s throw away from that of Akhilesh. Shivpal Yadav and a few other loyalists like Ambika Chowdhury met him during the day.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90% of the candidates in both lists were common

Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed the caveat in the Supreme Court of India, prempting Akhilesh's father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in case he decides to challenge the Election Commission order. A day after India's Election Commission granted the disputed 'cycle' symbol of the Samajwadi Party (SP) to Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister visited his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh at his residence, describing his ties with him as "unbreakable." Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90 per cent of the candidates in both lists were common. He said his priority was to form the SP government in the upcoming assembly elections in the state and that he would take his father along. "I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...My relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said. "Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon," Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence in state capital Lucknow. However, the Akhilesh faction led by his mentor and uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed a caveat in the top court asking it not to pass any order challenging the Election Commission order without hearing their side. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also went into a huddle with his advisors, including Upper House legislators Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, strategising on an alliance with Congress, RLD and JD(U) for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. SP sources said the list of party candidates will be released in a day or two. There were reports that the three parties could come out with a common minimum programme. While Akhilesh said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad confirmed his party would ally with the SP in the upcoming UP elections. "The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow. His uncle and party strategist Ramgopal Yadav hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for polls. "I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the press in New Delhi. Party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal said, "Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days." The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon. Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the state. The poll process kicked off today with a notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11. Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in Akhilesh's favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with the Congress despite Akhilesh saying that an alliance between the two could fetch 300 of the state's 403 seats. According to SP sources, the party will keep the majority of over 250 seats with itself. Congress was being offered around 90-100 seats by the SP, which was also said to be trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD. Rashtriya Lok Dal has pockets of influence in western UP which goes to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15. Ramgopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are reportedly in talks to iron out differences over seat sharing between the two parties. Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already begun. Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, stayed put at his bungalow, hardly a stone's throw away from that of Akhilesh. Shivpal Yadav and a few other loyalists like Ambika Chowdhury met him during the day. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Ties with Mulayam Singh unbreakable, will take him along: Akhilesh's olive branch to father ahead of polls

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