The main accused in the killing of a Dalit student of Allahabad University has been arrested, police said today.

Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said.

Dileep (26), a second year LLB student, was thrashed by a group on Friday following an altercation outside a restaurant. He succumbed to injuries two days later.

Four people have already been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Yogi Adityanath government came in for criticism from rival parties over the killing, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying it showed Uttar Pradesh was in the &quot;grip of criminal elements&quot;.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said the killing was the result of &quot;narrow and casteist politics of hatred&quot; being pursued by the ruling BJP.&nbsp;

Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said

The main accused in the killing of a Dalit student of Allahabad University has been arrested, police said today. Vijay Shankar Singh was arrested from Sultanpur in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent of Police Akaash Kulhari said. Dileep (26), a second year LLB student, was thrashed by a group on Friday following an altercation outside a restaurant. He succumbed to injuries two days later. Four people have already been arrested in connection with the incident. The Yogi Adityanath government came in for criticism from rival parties over the killing, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying it showed Uttar Pradesh was in the "grip of criminal elements". Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said the killing was the result of "narrow and casteist politics of hatred" being pursued by the ruling BJP.

Main accused in Dalit student's lynching arrested

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today lashed out at the BJP and RSS for &quot;divisive politics&quot;, and said if the current government is not ousted, it would be harmful for the country.

Mr Yadav addressed a rally organised by his party.

&quot;First, this government came to power by fooling the masses with a false promise of depositing Rs. 15 lakh in everyone&#39;s account. And after taking over the reins, it has indulged in divisive politics and is raking up communal issues so that people forget the issues of unemployment, starvation, farmer suicides,&quot; he said.

The government, guided by the RSS, is trying to distort the tenets of Constitution, he said.

&quot;It is trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims, between castes. This is harmful, and we know how to deal with it. We will dethrone these people in 2019 and 2022,&quot; Mr Yadav said, referring to the next Lok Sabha and Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, respectively.

During his 5-year term as chief minister, Mr Yadav said he built roads where even an Air Force plane can land, and no other state including Maharashtra could do this despite having better financial resources.

Referring to the BJP-led Maharashtra government&#39;s decision to build a grand memorial of warrior king Shivaji in the Arabian Sea, Mr Yadav said when his party comes back to power in UP, it will create a grand park in Shivaji&#39;s name, spread over thousands of acres.

The BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and UP have miserably failed in tackling farmers&#39; issues, and loan waivers are empty assurances, the SP leader said.

&quot;I fail to understand why farmers in a financially sound state like Maharashtra are continuing to commit suicide The same trend is now seen in Uttar Pradesh too,&quot; Mr Yadav said.

Narendra Modi government&#39;s demonetisation was a &quot;complete failure&quot;, the former UP chief minister said.

&quot;GST and demonetisation have been duds. Corruption and black money still prevail. If you (the government) think that it (demonetisation) worked, then I suggest you repeat it once again. Perhaps it will work better this time,&quot; he quipped.

He also said he still has doubts about the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and will continue to back the paper ballot system.

&quot;When an out-of-order EVM can be repaired, then can it not be tampered with?&quot; he asked.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "The government, guided by the RSS, is trying to distort the tenets of Constitution."

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today lashed out at the BJP and RSS for "divisive politics", and said if the current government is not ousted, it would be harmful for the country. Mr Yadav addressed a rally organised by his party. "First, this government came to power by fooling the masses with a false promise of depositing Rs. 15 lakh in everyone's account. And after taking over the reins, it has indulged in divisive politics and is raking up communal issues so that people forget the issues of unemployment, starvation, farmer suicides," he said. The government, guided by the RSS, is trying to distort the tenets of Constitution, he said. "It is trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims, between castes. This is harmful, and we know how to deal with it. We will dethrone these people in 2019 and 2022," Mr Yadav said, referring to the next Lok Sabha and Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, respectively. During his 5-year term as chief minister, Mr Yadav said he built roads where even an Air Force plane can land, and no other state including Maharashtra could do this despite having better financial resources. Referring to the BJP-led Maharashtra government's decision to build a grand memorial of warrior king Shivaji in the Arabian Sea, Mr Yadav said when his party comes back to power in UP, it will create a grand park in Shivaji's name, spread over thousands of acres. The BJP-led governments in both Maharashtra and UP have miserably failed in tackling farmers' issues, and loan waivers are empty assurances, the SP leader said. "I fail to understand why farmers in a financially sound state like Maharashtra are continuing to commit suicide The same trend is now seen in Uttar Pradesh too," Mr Yadav said. Narendra Modi government's demonetisation was a "complete failure", the former UP chief minister said. "GST and demonetisation have been duds. Corruption and black money still prevail. If you (the government) think that it (demonetisation) worked, then I suggest you repeat it once again. Perhaps it will work better this time," he quipped. He also said he still has doubts about the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and will continue to back the paper ballot system. "When an out-of-order EVM can be repaired, then can it not be tampered with?" he asked.

BJP government doing divisive politics to distract people: Akhilesh Yadav

Marking&nbsp;another victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to hold the Sikandra Assembly seat in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections.

BJP&nbsp;candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes.&nbsp;

The BJP candidate won by a margin of over 11,861 votes.&nbsp;

While the BJP candidate secured 73,284 votes, Congress candidate secured 19,084 and Samajwadi&nbsp;Party&#39;s candidate 61,423 votes.

The Samajwadi and the Congress party claimed that the seals of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were broken. They alleged that the authorities had tampered with the machines for ensuring the victory of the BJP.

The&nbsp;Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, however, clarified that there were three seals and they&nbsp;were intact.

The elections in the region were conducted after the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Mathura Prasad Pal on July 22.&nbsp;

Over 53 per cent people had exercised their franchise in the bypolls&nbsp;on December 21.

Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of Sikandra for extending their support to the party.&nbsp;

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My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP. Our commitment to serving India&#39;s villages and taking them to new heights of progress is unwavering. I congratulate CM <a href="https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@myogiadityanath</a> Ji and the <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4UP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4UP</a> Team for their stupendous efforts.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/944916937171132417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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BJP's candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes

Marking another victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to hold the Sikandra Assembly seat in the Uttar Pradesh by-elections. BJP candidate Ajit Singh Pal has secured 44.86 per cent votes against the Samajwadi Party rival Seema Sachan who bagged 37.60 per cent votes. The BJP candidate won by a margin of over 11,861 votes. While the BJP candidate secured 73,284 votes, Congress candidate secured 19,084 and Samajwadi Party's candidate 61,423 votes. The Samajwadi and the Congress party claimed that the seals of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were broken. They alleged that the authorities had tampered with the machines for ensuring the victory of the BJP. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Ratan Kant Pandey, however, clarified that there were three seals and they were intact. The elections in the region were conducted after the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Mathura Prasad Pal on July 22. Over 53 per cent people had exercised their franchise in the bypolls on December 21. Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of Sikandra for extending their support to the party. My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP. Our commitment to serving India's villages and taking them to new heights of progress is unwavering. I congratulate CM @myogiadityanath Ji and the @BJP4UP Team for their stupendous efforts. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 24, 2017 ×

BJP retains power in Sikandra, wins UP bypoll

&nbsp;After a long gap, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav were seen together at a public event here today.

The occasion was an event observing the death anniversary of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia at the Lohia park here where they both had come to pay tribute to the socialist leader.

The father-son duo later posed before photographers.

Akhilesh Yadav (44) also publicly touched the feet of the 77-year-old Samajwadi Party patron and later said he had his blessings.

The senior Yadav had earlier this morning visited the Lohia Trust office here and paid tributes to the leader with his brother Shivpal Yadav.

Later, addressing media persons at the SP headquarters, Akhilesh Yadav said that the &quot;projects initiated by him are now being inaugurated by the BJP by removing his plaques&quot;.

On Mulayam, he said, &quot;If a father glosses over his son&#39;s mistakes, he becomes misguided. There is a fight of ideologies in every family...&quot;. The former chief minister, however, did not elaborate.

Asking party workers to gear up for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief said, &quot;We have nothing to lose now. We will only gain. The people of the state are waiting for an opportunity to bring the SP back.&quot;

&quot;We have to prepare for 2022 Assembly elections too. This government is not doing any development and people have understood that&quot; he said.

The SP chief also attacked the Centre for implementing the GST &quot;without any preparations&quot;, causing hardship to the trader community.

The occasion was an event observing the death anniversary of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia at the Lohia park here where they both had come to pay tribute to the socialist leader

After a long gap, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav were seen together at a public event here today. The occasion was an event observing the death anniversary of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia at the Lohia park here where they both had come to pay tribute to the socialist leader. The father-son duo later posed before photographers. Akhilesh Yadav (44) also publicly touched the feet of the 77-year-old Samajwadi Party patron and later said he had his blessings. The senior Yadav had earlier this morning visited the Lohia Trust office here and paid tributes to the leader with his brother Shivpal Yadav. Later, addressing media persons at the SP headquarters, Akhilesh Yadav said that the "projects initiated by him are now being inaugurated by the BJP by removing his plaques". On Mulayam, he said, "If a father glosses over his son's mistakes, he becomes misguided. There is a fight of ideologies in every family...". The former chief minister, however, did not elaborate. Asking party workers to gear up for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief said, "We have nothing to lose now. We will only gain. The people of the state are waiting for an opportunity to bring the SP back." "We have to prepare for 2022 Assembly elections too. This government is not doing any development and people have understood that" he said. The SP chief also attacked the Centre for implementing the GST "without any preparations", causing hardship to the trader community.

Akhilesh, Mulayam seen together in public after long gap

Samajwadi Party announced today former <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-the-election-commission-arrived-at-the-verdict-to-grant-bicycle-symbol-to-akhilesh-yadav-led-faction-11361">Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav</a> has been elected as the national president for the next five years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/up-elections-ruling-samajwadi-party-chief-mulayam-singh-yadav-expels-son-and-state-chief-minister-akhilesh-yadav-10742">Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh had earlier </a>announced he wouldn&#39;t be part of the party convention at Agra where the announcement of his son Akhilesh as national president was announced.

Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections in May, Mulayam Singh had expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party. Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal were slapped with showcause notices by the party.

&quot;We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal,&quot; Mulayam had said while announcing Akhilesh&#39;s expulsion.

However, the Election Commission recognised Akhilesh Yadav as the leader of the party allocating the Samajwadi Party election symbol &#39;cycle&#39; to him even as Mulayam Singh protested.

Rejecting the stand of the Mulayam Singh Yadav camp, the election body&nbsp;said there is a clear split in the party.

The Samajwadi party later lost the elections&nbsp;during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in May as the BJP swept to power.

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh had earlier announced he wouldn't be part of the party convention at Agra

Samajwadi Party announced today former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has been elected as the national president for the next five years. Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh had earlier announced he wouldn't be part of the party convention at Agra where the announcement of his son Akhilesh as national president was announced. Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections in May, Mulayam Singh had expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav from the Samajwadi Party. Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal were slapped with showcause notices by the party. "We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal," Mulayam had said while announcing Akhilesh's expulsion. However, the Election Commission recognised Akhilesh Yadav as the leader of the party allocating the Samajwadi Party election symbol 'cycle' to him even as Mulayam Singh protested. Rejecting the stand of the Mulayam Singh Yadav camp, the election body said there is a clear split in the party. The Samajwadi party later lost the elections during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in May as the BJP swept to power.

Samajwadi Party elects Akhilesh Yadav as national president

Rajya Sabha witnessed an uproar after Samajwadi Party&#39;s Naresh Agrawal made controversial remarks over Hindu gods, PTI reported.

Taking strong objection to his comments, the Treasury benches demanded an apology from him.

Later, he withdrew his comments but SP&#39;s Ramgopal Yadav said that there is no question of apologising.&nbsp;

Earlier, Rajya Sabha witnessed acrimonious scenes over the issue of lynchings in the name of cow protection.

The Opposition came down heavily on the treasury benches for not doing enough to stop lynchings.

Congress party leader and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that this is a fight to save humanity while raising the issue of lynchings in various states.&nbsp;

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Congress&#39; Ghulam Nabi Azad raises issue of mob lynchings in different states <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RajyaSabha?src=hash">#RajyaSabha</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Monsoonsession?src=hash">#Monsoonsession</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pn4c0CSiuj">pic.twitter.com/Pn4c0CSiuj</a>
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Samajwadi Party leaders stormed the well of the House questioning the government over the steps it had taken to stop the lynchings, PTI reported.

This led to the House getting adjourned for 10 minutes.

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the junior home minister, while responding to Congress&#39; Digvijay Singh on whether the government is bringing a special law to deal with such cases, said that the there is no need to bring any changes to the existing laws.

He added that the centre had already issued advisories to states to register FIRs in such cases and book the culprits under existing laws.

The junior home minister further added that the Prime Minister had also spoken out against the issue of lynchings in the name of cow protection.

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PM stated cow vigilantes shouldn&#39;t take law in their hands, MHA issued advisory. Dragging BJP into this not right: MoS Home H. Ahir in RS <a href="https://t.co/sHwy3cWmJe">pic.twitter.com/sHwy3cWmJe</a>
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He rejected Samajwadi Party&#39;s Naresh Agrawal&#39;s charge that BJP men are behind the lynchings, PTI said.

&quot;It is not correct that BJP people are involved in this,&quot; he said.

The minister said that the NCRB started recording data on lynchings since 2014. He cited the NCRB data to show that there were more incidents of lynchings in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 in non-BJP ruled states.

The minister said that all states have acted against those behind such incidents and have sent information to Centre except West Bengal.

&quot;In Haryana, four people have been arrested, while three have been held in West Bengal, 30 persons in Jharkhand and four have been held in Maharashtra,&quot; he said, adding all states have acted and no culprits are roaming free, PTI reported.

&quot;If anyone is not arrested, we will ask the states to take action...The Centre is not running away from fulfilling its duty and have asked states to send complete reports,&quot; Ahir said. 
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SP&#39;s Naresh Agrawal had asked the government if it was aware of the number of incidents of lynchings by cow vigilantes.

The junior home minister responded saying that police and public order are state subjects and the state governments are competent to deal with such issues under the provisions of law. He also added that the NCRB does not maintain data on lynchings in the name of cow vigilantism.

Dissatisfied with the Centre&#39;s response the SP members resorted to sloganeering in the well of the House which led to the adjournment.&nbsp;

The House witnessed acrimonious scenes as the Opposition targeted the government over the lynchings in the name of cow protection

Rajya Sabha witnessed an uproar after Samajwadi Party's Naresh Agrawal made controversial remarks over Hindu gods, PTI reported. Taking strong objection to his comments, the Treasury benches demanded an apology from him. Later, he withdrew his comments but SP's Ramgopal Yadav said that there is no question of apologising. Earlier, Rajya Sabha witnessed acrimonious scenes over the issue of lynchings in the name of cow protection. The Opposition came down heavily on the treasury benches for not doing enough to stop lynchings. Congress party leader and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that this is a fight to save humanity while raising the issue of lynchings in various states. Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad raises issue of mob lynchings in different states #RajyaSabha #Monsoonsession pic.twitter.com/Pn4c0CSiuj — ANI (@ANI_news) July 19, 2017 × Samajwadi Party leaders stormed the well of the House questioning the government over the steps it had taken to stop the lynchings, PTI reported. This led to the House getting adjourned for 10 minutes. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the junior home minister, while responding to Congress' Digvijay Singh on whether the government is bringing a special law to deal with such cases, said that the there is no need to bring any changes to the existing laws. He added that the centre had already issued advisories to states to register FIRs in such cases and book the culprits under existing laws. The junior home minister further added that the Prime Minister had also spoken out against the issue of lynchings in the name of cow protection. PM stated cow vigilantes shouldn't take law in their hands, MHA issued advisory. Dragging BJP into this not right: MoS Home H. Ahir in RS pic.twitter.com/sHwy3cWmJe — ANI (@ANI_news) July 19, 2017 × He rejected Samajwadi Party's Naresh Agrawal's charge that BJP men are behind the lynchings, PTI said. "It is not correct that BJP people are involved in this," he said. The minister said that the NCRB started recording data on lynchings since 2014. He cited the NCRB data to show that there were more incidents of lynchings in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 in non-BJP ruled states. The minister said that all states have acted against those behind such incidents and have sent information to Centre except West Bengal. "In Haryana, four people have been arrested, while three have been held in West Bengal, 30 persons in Jharkhand and four have been held in Maharashtra," he said, adding all states have acted and no culprits are roaming free, PTI reported. "If anyone is not arrested, we will ask the states to take action...The Centre is not running away from fulfilling its duty and have asked states to send complete reports," Ahir said. SP's Naresh Agrawal had asked the government if it was aware of the number of incidents of lynchings by cow vigilantes. The junior home minister responded saying that police and public order are state subjects and the state governments are competent to deal with such issues under the provisions of law. He also added that the NCRB does not maintain data on lynchings in the name of cow vigilantism. Dissatisfied with the Centre's response the SP members resorted to sloganeering in the well of the House which led to the adjournment.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha over SP member's remark over Hindu gods

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader and lawyer Rajesh Kumar Awasthi has announced a Rs 50 lakh reward to anyone who cuts off Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan&rsquo;s tongue, The Indian Express reported.&nbsp; 
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This announcement comes three days after Khan made controversial remarks about the Indian armed forces. 
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Azam Khan, while speaking at the SP office in Rampur district on June 27, had referred to &quot;shameful violent happenings&quot; in places such as Kashmir, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bengal. 
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Khan had said excesses by security forces had led to &quot;women in some places chopping off the private parts of Army men&quot;.

Awasthi, who is a VHP district secretary, said he would sell his property to pay the reward.

&ldquo;I have announced to give Rs 50 lakh cash to anyone who cuts off Azam&rsquo;s tongue. If anyone is ready to take my offer and complete the task, I would sell off my property to pay the amount,&rdquo; Awasthi said, The Indian Express reported.

A police inquiry has been ordered.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Khan was charged with sedition for his comments at the Chandpur police station in Bijnor.&nbsp; 
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The leader, a lawyer, said he would sell his property to pay the reward

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader and lawyer Rajesh Kumar Awasthi has announced a Rs 50 lakh reward to anyone who cuts off Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s tongue, The Indian Express reported. This announcement comes three days after Khan made controversial remarks about the Indian armed forces. Azam Khan, while speaking at the SP office in Rampur district on June 27, had referred to "shameful violent happenings" in places such as Kashmir, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bengal. Khan had said excesses by security forces had led to "women in some places chopping off the private parts of Army men". Awasthi, who is a VHP district secretary, said he would sell his property to pay the reward. “I have announced to give Rs 50 lakh cash to anyone who cuts off Azam’s tongue. If anyone is ready to take my offer and complete the task, I would sell off my property to pay the amount,” Awasthi said, The Indian Express reported. A police inquiry has been ordered. Meanwhile, on Friday, Khan was charged with sedition for his comments at the Chandpur police station in Bijnor.

VHP leader announces Rs 50 lakh reward for Azam Khan's tongue

Strange things have been happening in the Samajwadi party (SP) in the last seven months, and they have had nothing to do with Socialism on which bedrock the party rests. The sense of calm and placidity which characterised it in the 25 years of its existence, at least in terms of internal cohesiveness, began to be shattered from November onwards last year, with powerful party leader Shivpal Yadav and then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at daggers drawn.&nbsp;

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Whatever happens from then on, the Samajwadi party will no longer be the same. The long-term impact of these developments on its electoral fortunes, which have taken a nosedive in recent times, remains to be seen. For now, the picture is not rosy. Consumed by internecine strife, it was drubbed in the Assembly election, and it will soon face the electorate in the urban body polls in this sorry situation.

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There is an air of desperation in the two warring camps. The level of surrealism can be understood by the fact that the SP&rsquo;s defeat actually brought relief to the Shivpal faction. The outcome strengthened Shivpal Yadav&rsquo;s hand against his nephew who was squarely held responsible for the debacle. But if the senior Yadav was expecting a massive revolt against Akhilesh post-defeat, that didn&rsquo;t happen.&nbsp;

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So, Shivpal Yadav has decided to carry out his threat of floating a new alternative outfit to take on the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party &mdash; something he had hinted at before the election when he saw organisational power slipping out of his hands. The Samajwadi Secular Morcha is his baby &mdash; conceived though yet to be born formally.

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But the birth process has run into complications and caused some amount of cheer to the Akhilesh group. Shivpal had confidently announced that the Morcha had the blessings of SP patriarch, his elder brother and Akhilesh&rsquo;s father Mulayam Singh Yadav. To call Mulayam Singh Yadav the party supremo any longer would be to rub salt into his wounds, given that the Akhilesh camp had ousted him from the national president&rsquo;s post. But Mulayam was quick to distance himself from the idea, claiming that he had not been consulted and that he would not want the party to split.&nbsp;

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It is essentially Mulayam Singh Yadav&rsquo;s ambivalence that has kept the pot boiling. The veteran politician is caught in multiple dilemmas. He does not want a split in a party he toiled to create and establish as one of Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s strongest political outfits and, yet, he is unhappy with the party as it exists today. He also cannot endure the sidelining of his brother Shivpal who has been with him through thick and thin, particularly during the Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s formative phases. Besides, he feels humiliated over the manner he has been personally dealt with. Yet, he cannot altogether abandon his son, though he has made his preference for Shivpal obvious.&nbsp;

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If Shivpal eventually manages to get his elder brother and SP&rsquo;s tallest leader&rsquo;s consent, then his Morcha will acquire overnight credibility. Else, it will end up as an amateurish attempt by a disgruntled, even discredited, leader who is out of sync with a &lsquo;young and progressive&rsquo; Akhilesh.&nbsp;

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The Samajwadi Party has opened itself to all sorts of peculiar situations, and the Morcha attempts to cause damage to the Akhilesh-led party and push him to hand over charge to the old guard. In the run-up to the election, the party had talked of being united, but both the Akhilesh and the Shivpal factions had moved the Election Commission of India for propriety over the &lsquo;Cycle&rsquo; symbol, each claiming to be the &lsquo;real&rsquo; Samajwadi Party. By all logic, such unity was bizarre. Neither the voters nor the party workers were fooled by the facade of projected wellness.

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The two groups were also sharply divided over contesting elections in partnership with the Congress. The Akhilesh camp wanted a tie-up; the Shivpal faction was opposed. The former had its way, with the result that neither Shivpal nor Mulayam campaigned extensively or enthusiastically for the party &mdash; and certainly not in constituencies where the Congress had put up its candidates through an arrangement with the SP.&nbsp;

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It was clear, as the battle went on, that the real war would be after the result was out. Had the Akhilesh-led SP won, it would have been an end to Shivpal&rsquo;s ambitions, and the sidelining of his supporters within the party would have been a done deal. But defeat happened, and it emboldened Shivpal. Now, it&rsquo;s not just Shivpal Yadav&rsquo;s political future which is at stake; Akhilesh too stares at uncertainty. The party may be defeated but it&rsquo;s not dead. The new round will determine who will control it.

&nbsp;

Shivpal Yadav is an old hand in politics. In tentatively announcing his Morcha, he has cleverly referred to issues that no Samajwadi can possibly disagree with: First, there is the need for a fresh thrust towards &lsquo;secularism&rsquo;. Second, the Socialist ideals must be protected. Third, it&rsquo;s incumbent on all Samajwadi elements to work to restore to their leader Mulayam Singh Yadav his &lsquo;lost glory&rsquo;. The problem is: Just how will the cause of secularism be promoted by a division in the so-called secular forces?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As for fighting for the ideals of Socialism, nobody seriously believes that the present-day Samajwadis are Socialists in the sense that Socialism has evolved over the past three centuries in a structured form. Even Ram Manohar Lohia would find it difficult to identify strands of Socialism in the Samajwadi Party, not to speak of Henri de Saint-Simon who created the term as we understand it today and which was later built upon by the likes of Karl Marx to propound his political theory based on a materialist understanding of socio-economic phenomena.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s crisis is a godsend for its regional rival: Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party. Reeling under two back to back defeats &mdash; in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Assembly poll &mdash; the BSP&rsquo;s hopes now rest on the decline of the SP. It&rsquo;s not that the SP&rsquo;s entire vote-bank will shift to the BSP if the former weakens further, but the minority votes will be for its asking in such a situation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The tantalising question is: If Mulayam Singh Yadav, unable to take sides in the internal feud, recedes into the background, will that make it easier for the SP and the BSP to partner each other to take on Narendra Modi&rsquo;s Bharatiya Janata Party? &nbsp;

Will Samajwadi Secular Morcha create further split in the Samajwadi Party?

Strange things have been happening in the Samajwadi party (SP) in the last seven months, and they have had nothing to do with Socialism on which bedrock the party rests. The sense of calm and placidity which characterised it in the 25 years of its existence, at least in terms of internal cohesiveness, began to be shattered from November onwards last year, with powerful party leader Shivpal Yadav and then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at daggers drawn. Whatever happens from then on, the Samajwadi party will no longer be the same. The long-term impact of these developments on its electoral fortunes, which have taken a nosedive in recent times, remains to be seen. For now, the picture is not rosy. Consumed by internecine strife, it was drubbed in the Assembly election, and it will soon face the electorate in the urban body polls in this sorry situation. There is an air of desperation in the two warring camps. The level of surrealism can be understood by the fact that the SP’s defeat actually brought relief to the Shivpal faction. The outcome strengthened Shivpal Yadav’s hand against his nephew who was squarely held responsible for the debacle. But if the senior Yadav was expecting a massive revolt against Akhilesh post-defeat, that didn’t happen. So, Shivpal Yadav has decided to carry out his threat of floating a new alternative outfit to take on the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party — something he had hinted at before the election when he saw organisational power slipping out of his hands. The Samajwadi Secular Morcha is his baby — conceived though yet to be born formally. But the birth process has run into complications and caused some amount of cheer to the Akhilesh group. Shivpal had confidently announced that the Morcha had the blessings of SP patriarch, his elder brother and Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav. To call Mulayam Singh Yadav the party supremo any longer would be to rub salt into his wounds, given that the Akhilesh camp had ousted him from the national president’s post. But Mulayam was quick to distance himself from the idea, claiming that he had not been consulted and that he would not want the party to split. It is essentially Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ambivalence that has kept the pot boiling. The veteran politician is caught in multiple dilemmas. He does not want a split in a party he toiled to create and establish as one of Uttar Pradesh’s strongest political outfits and, yet, he is unhappy with the party as it exists today. He also cannot endure the sidelining of his brother Shivpal who has been with him through thick and thin, particularly during the Samajwadi Party’s formative phases. Besides, he feels humiliated over the manner he has been personally dealt with. Yet, he cannot altogether abandon his son, though he has made his preference for Shivpal obvious. If Shivpal eventually manages to get his elder brother and SP’s tallest leader’s consent, then his Morcha will acquire overnight credibility. Else, it will end up as an amateurish attempt by a disgruntled, even discredited, leader who is out of sync with a ‘young and progressive’ Akhilesh. The Samajwadi Party has opened itself to all sorts of peculiar situations, and the Morcha attempts to cause damage to the Akhilesh-led party and push him to hand over charge to the old guard. In the run-up to the election, the party had talked of being united, but both the Akhilesh and the Shivpal factions had moved the Election Commission of India for propriety over the ‘Cycle’ symbol, each claiming to be the ‘real’ Samajwadi Party. By all logic, such unity was bizarre. Neither the voters nor the party workers were fooled by the facade of projected wellness. The two groups were also sharply divided over contesting elections in partnership with the Congress. The Akhilesh camp wanted a tie-up; the Shivpal faction was opposed. The former had its way, with the result that neither Shivpal nor Mulayam campaigned extensively or enthusiastically for the party — and certainly not in constituencies where the Congress had put up its candidates through an arrangement with the SP. It was clear, as the battle went on, that the real war would be after the result was out. Had the Akhilesh-led SP won, it would have been an end to Shivpal’s ambitions, and the sidelining of his supporters within the party would have been a done deal. But defeat happened, and it emboldened Shivpal. Now, it’s not just Shivpal Yadav’s political future which is at stake; Akhilesh too stares at uncertainty. The party may be defeated but it’s not dead. The new round will determine who will control it. Shivpal Yadav is an old hand in politics. In tentatively announcing his Morcha, he has cleverly referred to issues that no Samajwadi can possibly disagree with: First, there is the need for a fresh thrust towards ‘secularism’. Second, the Socialist ideals must be protected. Third, it’s incumbent on all Samajwadi elements to work to restore to their leader Mulayam Singh Yadav his ‘lost glory’. The problem is: Just how will the cause of secularism be promoted by a division in the so-called secular forces? As for fighting for the ideals of Socialism, nobody seriously believes that the present-day Samajwadis are Socialists in the sense that Socialism has evolved over the past three centuries in a structured form. Even Ram Manohar Lohia would find it difficult to identify strands of Socialism in the Samajwadi Party, not to speak of Henri de Saint-Simon who created the term as we understand it today and which was later built upon by the likes of Karl Marx to propound his political theory based on a materialist understanding of socio-economic phenomena. The Samajwadi Party’s crisis is a godsend for its regional rival: Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party. Reeling under two back to back defeats — in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and the 2017 Assembly poll — the BSP’s hopes now rest on the decline of the SP. It’s not that the SP’s entire vote-bank will shift to the BSP if the former weakens further, but the minority votes will be for its asking in such a situation. The tantalising question is: If Mulayam Singh Yadav, unable to take sides in the internal feud, recedes into the background, will that make it easier for the SP and the BSP to partner each other to take on Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party?

Mulyam Singh Yadav's family members are at daggers drawn

Samajwadi Pary leader Shivpal Yadav said that he is forming a new party, ANI reported.

The new party, called &#39;Samajwadi Secular Morcha&#39;, will be headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

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Neta ji ko unka sammaan vapas dilane, aur Samajawadion ko ek saath laane ke liye is morche ka jald hi ailaan hoga:Shivpal Yadav to ANI
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/860387470977912832">May 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The announcement comes in the wake of Samajwadi Party&#39;s huge defeat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The party was reduced to just 47 seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly.

Before the elections, Akhilesh Yadav had dethroned party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party president, a move which was backed by the Election Commission of India which considered him as the president.

More to follow

(WION with inputs from ANI)

The new party, which will be named ?'Samajwadi Secular Morcha', will be headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav

Samajwadi Pary leader Shivpal Yadav said that he is forming a new party, ANI reported. The new party, called 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha', will be headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Neta ji ko unka sammaan vapas dilane, aur Samajawadion ko ek saath laane ke liye is morche ka jald hi ailaan hoga:Shivpal Yadav to ANI — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 5, 2017 × The announcement comes in the wake of Samajwadi Party's huge defeat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The party was reduced to just 47 seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly. Before the elections, Akhilesh Yadav had dethroned party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party president, a move which was backed by the Election Commission of India which considered him as the president. More to follow (WION with inputs from ANI)

Samajwadi Party splits: Shivpal Yadav floats new party with Mulayam as president

Samajwadi Party, the ruling party of India&#39;s most critical state Uttar Pradesh between 2012 and 2017, has plunged into another bout of family recrimination, just days after the political organisation suffered a debilitating loss in the recently-concluded elections.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the party patriarch, agreed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s assessment of his son Akhilesh Yadav being disloyal.

Speaking at a function in their family bastion of Mainpuri -- about 350 kilometres from New Delhi -- Mulayam echoed one of Modi&#39;s speech about his son: &quot;Yeh sahi hai jo apne baap ka nahin woh kisi ka nahi ho sakta&nbsp;(It is true that a son who can&#39;t be loyal to his father can&#39;t be loyal to his people).&quot;

Modi, during the frenzied political campaign in Uttar Pradesh, had blamed Akhilesh -- the chief minister of India&#39;s northern state then -- for insulting his father by going against him.

Mulayam also accused his son of &quot;humiliating and betraying him&quot;.

&quot;While the people of UP voted for me in 2012, I chose Akhilesh to be the next chief minister, but he humiliated him thereafter,&quot; The Times of India quoted Mulayam as saying.

Mulayam&#39;s outburst comes after Samajwadi Party won a meagre 47 of the 403 Assembly seats in the 2017 elections.

The three-time chief minister of the state also lashed out at Akhilesh&#39;s decision to join hands with the Congress before the polls, especially because the party had launched &quot;murderous attacks&quot; against him in the past.

The father-son feud has been a protracted affair, stretching back to last year -- a bitter fight that clearly hampered the party&#39;s preparation for the elections.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The Samajwadi Party patriarch agreed with PM Narendra Modi that his son was not trustworthy

Samajwadi Party, the ruling party of India's most critical state Uttar Pradesh between 2012 and 2017, has plunged into another bout of family recrimination, just days after the political organisation suffered a debilitating loss in the recently-concluded elections. Mulayam Singh Yadav, the party patriarch, agreed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assessment of his son Akhilesh Yadav being disloyal. Speaking at a function in their family bastion of Mainpuri -- about 350 kilometres from New Delhi -- Mulayam echoed one of Modi's speech about his son: "Yeh sahi hai jo apne baap ka nahin woh kisi ka nahi ho sakta (It is true that a son who can't be loyal to his father can't be loyal to his people)." Modi, during the frenzied political campaign in Uttar Pradesh, had blamed Akhilesh -- the chief minister of India's northern state then -- for insulting his father by going against him. Mulayam also accused his son of "humiliating and betraying him". "While the people of UP voted for me in 2012, I chose Akhilesh to be the next chief minister, but he humiliated him thereafter," The Times of India quoted Mulayam as saying. Mulayam's outburst comes after Samajwadi Party won a meagre 47 of the 403 Assembly seats in the 2017 elections. The three-time chief minister of the state also lashed out at Akhilesh's decision to join hands with the Congress before the polls, especially because the party had launched "murderous attacks" against him in the past. The father-son feud has been a protracted affair, stretching back to last year -- a bitter fight that clearly hampered the party's preparation for the elections. (WION)

Mulayam lashes out at Akhilesh to deepen SP fissures

The BJP are already celebrating in Delhi, and one party member is already looking ahead to 2014

Assembly Election results have only been coming in for just a couple hours, but the early numbers couldn't be clearer, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already celebrating in the streets. BJP leading in Uttar Pradesh: Party workers celebrate in Kanpur. #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/KfE5Dv10iq — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2017 × In fact one BJP member, former chief minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah, is so buoyed by early results he's already looking ahead to seven years down the road. At this rate we might as well forget 2019 & start planning/hoping for 2024. — Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) March 11, 2017 × Both in Lucknow and in Delhi the BJP are also in full on celebration mode, as poll results suggest an unsurpassble lead. BJP leading in Uttar Pradesh: Party workers celebrate in Lucknow #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/SmmoBRNKSV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2017 × UP ministers Azam Khan (from Rampur) and Gayatri Prajapati(from Amethi) leading #ElectionResults — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2017 × Meanwhile the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, currently getting trounced, has unsurprisingly been less joyful, but not without grace. Conceding defeat even before all the results are officially in, SP member Naresh Agarwal has said, "we respect people's mandate". Samajwadi party's Naresh Agarwal concedes defeat in assembly polls in UP, says "we respect people's mandate" @ETVUPLIVE @MANMOHAN_RAI24 — Qazi Faraz Ahmad (@qazifarazahmad) March 11, 2017 × Rajiv Shukla also accepted the loss in a statement, but not without a little snipe. We respect the mandate, but development has lost and votebank politics has won:Rajiv Shukla,Congress on #uttarpradeshpolls2017 pic.twitter.com/Ir8CTqPvyD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 11, 2017 × At this point it would take some kind of miracle for things to change. #ElectionResults @BJP4UP records 40.6% vote share so far in UP polls, @BspUp2017 22.3%, SP 21%, Congress 6.6% @livemint — Gireesh Chandra (@Firstday75) March 11, 2017 × More responses to come. (WION)

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections: Reactions are pouring in

Even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah credited his old colleague and now India&#39;s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for the clear sweep of votes in Uttar Pradesh, many other factors, including his own work in the state from as early as 2009-10 played a crucial role.

Brand Modi was definitely at work in 2017 as it was in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but the process of converting it into votes was painstaking and tedious.&nbsp;What worked was the BJP&#39;s focus on farmers, the poor and disadvantaged voters, not ever considered its core vote, which is identified as upper caste, upper class, traders. The BJP realised early its appeal among Brahmins, Rajputs and other land-owning communities will not garner enough votes to record a landslide victory.

&quot;The first election promise by the PM to the voters of UP was that he would waive all farming and agriculture loans. Ours is a farm-centric state. That immediately had a positive impact,&quot; said Virendra Singh &#39;Mast&#39;, BJP&#39;s Kisan Morcha (farmers&#39; cell) chief who is also from a farmer family. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&#39;Mast&#39; was put in charge of dousing the sentiments of farmers riled by demonetisation right before the sowing season. He details how the BJP cadre got to work after the 2014 win to put its organisation in place in the districts. &nbsp;

&quot;After the demonetisation, we held sabhas in every district in which 500-600 farmers would gather and share their views on the government&#39;s step. People were inconvenienced, but they also realised that this was a pro-poor move and for the betterment of the country. Farmers anyway don&rsquo;t have a culture of over-spending, so they were not really affected,&quot; he pointed.

Some argue that the loan waivers were offered to soothe frayed tempers over lost crops.&nbsp;

The party&#39;s strategists, however, say that this was part of a larger plan of acquiring and retaining new vote banks and not just a move to dilute the negative impact of demonetisation. They insist that demonetisation worked favourably for them as it showed PM Modi as a man who was prepared to go against the party&#39;s core voters, the trader class, who were the worst hit by demonetisation.&nbsp;

The solution was a slew of pro-poor moves &ndash; most popular among which was the Ujjwala scheme. &nbsp;The BJP ensured 40 lakh gas cylinders were distributed in UP alone.

&quot;If you count five members in a family, that is straight away 2 crore votes in BJP&#39;s kitty. These are people who never voted for BJP. Modi has changed the party&#39;s caste arithmetic. There&#39;s a shift in our core voters. People who never voted for us are voting for the BJP. It&#39;s like Indira Gandhi&#39;s (former prime minister) appeal among the poor and underprivileged,&quot; said a BJP strategist.&nbsp;

His point is borne out by &#39;Mast&#39; who is also BJP&#39;s Bhadohi MP: &quot;We distributed 96,000 cooking gas cylinders among women in my parliamentary constituency alone under Ujjwala. It really helped our image among women voters.&quot; He credits the BJP&#39;s soaring fortunes to the PM&#39;s appeal among voters, but baulks at the term &#39;Modi magic&#39;.&nbsp;

&quot;What magic? The term magic means something happened suddenly in a moment. A lot of work has gone into this and the voters are convinced that Modi means business when it comes to delivering on promises,&quot; he told WION.&nbsp;

Party strategists have called this verdict three days ago and said they either expected to sweep the polls with far higher number of seats than the predicted 190-210, or a crushing defeat with less than 130 seats.&nbsp;

&quot;We needed to galvanise voters from other sections who don&rsquo;t normally vote for us. The non-Yadav OBC (other backward classes) vote and non-Jatav vote needed to come to us in order to record a convincing majority. It was important to retain the 4-8 % new vote banks ,&quot; said a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary. &nbsp;

It was important to get the caste arithmetic right and ensure a consolidation of votes. &quot;The consolidation of votes was across caste lines, among OBCs and Dalit, in BJP&#39;s favour and not along Hindus and Muslims as portrayed by the media. BSP chief Mayawati&#39;s Dalit supporters are silent voters. This time they have just quietly voted for the BJP,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

However, PM Modi&#39;s shamshaan and kabristan (cremation ground and graveyard) rhetoric definitely touched a nerve with the predominantly Hindu voters, mainly of whom felt the SP government was busy appeasing the Muslims, leading to a consolidation of the majority vote.&nbsp;

&quot;Contrary to the popular theory in the media that the Jats in western UP did not vote for us in the first and second phase, large sections in the community have cast their votes in our favour. In Baghpat assembly seat where 50 per cent of the voters are Jats, the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal&#39;s candidate is trailing behind our BJP man by 50,000 votes. This would not happen without Jat votes,&quot; the RSS source said &nbsp;&nbsp;

The infighting within the Samajwadi Party family and its consequent tie-up with Congress also worked for the BJP as voters saw the latter as a more viable option that will get things done on the ground. State government in friction with the Modi government have not been able to get much done where Centre&#39;s support is required. &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

BJP realised early its appeal with upper caste won't get enough votes, OBC-Dalits were key to victory in Uttar Pradesh

Even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah credited his old colleague and now India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for the clear sweep of votes in Uttar Pradesh, many other factors, including his own work in the state from as early as 2009-10 played a crucial role. Brand Modi was definitely at work in 2017 as it was in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but the process of converting it into votes was painstaking and tedious. What worked was the BJP's focus on farmers, the poor and disadvantaged voters, not ever considered its core vote, which is identified as upper caste, upper class, traders. The BJP realised early its appeal among Brahmins, Rajputs and other land-owning communities will not garner enough votes to record a landslide victory. "The first election promise by the PM to the voters of UP was that he would waive all farming and agriculture loans. Ours is a farm-centric state. That immediately had a positive impact," said Virendra Singh 'Mast', BJP's Kisan Morcha (farmers' cell) chief who is also from a farmer family. 'Mast' was put in charge of dousing the sentiments of farmers riled by demonetisation right before the sowing season. He details how the BJP cadre got to work after the 2014 win to put its organisation in place in the districts. "After the demonetisation, we held sabhas in every district in which 500-600 farmers would gather and share their views on the government's step. People were inconvenienced, but they also realised that this was a pro-poor move and for the betterment of the country. Farmers anyway don’t have a culture of over-spending, so they were not really affected," he pointed. Some argue that the loan waivers were offered to soothe frayed tempers over lost crops. The party's strategists, however, say that this was part of a larger plan of acquiring and retaining new vote banks and not just a move to dilute the negative impact of demonetisation. They insist that demonetisation worked favourably for them as it showed PM Modi as a man who was prepared to go against the party's core voters, the trader class, who were the worst hit by demonetisation. The solution was a slew of pro-poor moves – most popular among which was the Ujjwala scheme. The BJP ensured 40 lakh gas cylinders were distributed in UP alone. "If you count five members in a family, that is straight away 2 crore votes in BJP's kitty. These are people who never voted for BJP. Modi has changed the party's caste arithmetic. There's a shift in our core voters. People who never voted for us are voting for the BJP. It's like Indira Gandhi's (former prime minister) appeal among the poor and underprivileged," said a BJP strategist. His point is borne out by 'Mast' who is also BJP's Bhadohi MP: "We distributed 96,000 cooking gas cylinders among women in my parliamentary constituency alone under Ujjwala. It really helped our image among women voters." He credits the BJP's soaring fortunes to the PM's appeal among voters, but baulks at the term 'Modi magic'. "What magic? The term magic means something happened suddenly in a moment. A lot of work has gone into this and the voters are convinced that Modi means business when it comes to delivering on promises," he told WION. Party strategists have called this verdict three days ago and said they either expected to sweep the polls with far higher number of seats than the predicted 190-210, or a crushing defeat with less than 130 seats. "We needed to galvanise voters from other sections who don’t normally vote for us. The non-Yadav OBC (other backward classes) vote and non-Jatav vote needed to come to us in order to record a convincing majority. It was important to retain the 4-8 % new vote banks ," said a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary. It was important to get the caste arithmetic right and ensure a consolidation of votes. "The consolidation of votes was across caste lines, among OBCs and Dalit, in BJP's favour and not along Hindus and Muslims as portrayed by the media. BSP chief Mayawati's Dalit supporters are silent voters. This time they have just quietly voted for the BJP," he said. However, PM Modi's shamshaan and kabristan (cremation ground and graveyard) rhetoric definitely touched a nerve with the predominantly Hindu voters, mainly of whom felt the SP government was busy appeasing the Muslims, leading to a consolidation of the majority vote. "Contrary to the popular theory in the media that the Jats in western UP did not vote for us in the first and second phase, large sections in the community have cast their votes in our favour. In Baghpat assembly seat where 50 per cent of the voters are Jats, the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal's candidate is trailing behind our BJP man by 50,000 votes. This would not happen without Jat votes," the RSS source said The infighting within the Samajwadi Party family and its consequent tie-up with Congress also worked for the BJP as voters saw the latter as a more viable option that will get things done on the ground. State government in friction with the Modi government have not been able to get much done where Centre's support is required. (WION)

PM Modi, Amit Shah's UP game plan: Focus on farmers, poor and women

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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<h5>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</h5>
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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

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

Polling for the third phase of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh closed Sunday with&nbsp;61.16 per cent of the electorate casting their votes. 
 
The turnout, which is higher by more than 1 per cent as compared to last Assembly polls, is expected to go up and touch 63 per cent as many voters were still in queues outside polling booths when the percentage was collated at 5 pm, officials said.

&quot;At 5 pm, voting percentage was recorded as 61.16 per cent. There were huge queues outside some of the polling booths. We expect voting to reach or cross 63 per cent,&quot; Deputy Election Commissioner Vijay Dev told the&nbsp;press&nbsp;in Delhi.

&quot;The polling in 69 Assembly constituencies passed off peacefully, without any incident,&quot; he said.

In the 2012 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout in these constituencies was 59.96 per cent and 58.43 per cent. The percentage was, however, less than that witnessed in the first two phases of polling during the ongoing elections

The maximum balloting was reported from Barabanki, followed closely by Sitapur and Kannauj, PTI reported.

UP&#39;s Chief Electoral Officer earlier told PTI&nbsp;polling went&nbsp;on peacefully in the&nbsp;69 Assembly constituencies, which figure in phase-III, and are considered the stronghold of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Besides BSP supremo Mayawati, home minister Rajnath Singh with his family cast their votes in Lucknow while chief minister Akhilesh Yadav voted in Saifai (Etawah).

Polling began slowly but gathered pace later. There were reports of minor skirmishes between candidate supporters, firing and stone pelting from some places.

SP had won 55 of these 69 seats in 2012.&nbsp;The&nbsp;BSP,&nbsp;BJP and Congress secured just six, five and two respectively. One seat went to an Independent.

The fate of 826 candidates in this phase will be decided by 2.41 crore voters, including 1.10 crore women and 1,026 persons belonging to third gender category. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Samajwadi Party had won 55 of the 69 seats in the Assembly polls in 2012

Polling for the third phase of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh closed Sunday with 61.16 per cent of the electorate casting their votes. The turnout, which is higher by more than 1 per cent as compared to last Assembly polls, is expected to go up and touch 63 per cent as many voters were still in queues outside polling booths when the percentage was collated at 5 pm, officials said. "At 5 pm, voting percentage was recorded as 61.16 per cent. There were huge queues outside some of the polling booths. We expect voting to reach or cross 63 per cent," Deputy Election Commissioner Vijay Dev told the press in Delhi. "The polling in 69 Assembly constituencies passed off peacefully, without any incident," he said. In the 2012 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout in these constituencies was 59.96 per cent and 58.43 per cent. The percentage was, however, less than that witnessed in the first two phases of polling during the ongoing elections The maximum balloting was reported from Barabanki, followed closely by Sitapur and Kannauj, PTI reported. UP's Chief Electoral Officer earlier told PTI polling went on peacefully in the 69 Assembly constituencies, which figure in phase-III, and are considered the stronghold of the ruling Samajwadi Party. Besides BSP supremo Mayawati, home minister Rajnath Singh with his family cast their votes in Lucknow while chief minister Akhilesh Yadav voted in Saifai (Etawah). Polling began slowly but gathered pace later. There were reports of minor skirmishes between candidate supporters, firing and stone pelting from some places. SP had won 55 of these 69 seats in 2012. The BSP, BJP and Congress secured just six, five and two respectively. One seat went to an Independent. The fate of 826 candidates in this phase will be decided by 2.41 crore voters, including 1.10 crore women and 1,026 persons belonging to third gender category. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uttar Pradesh polls: 61% turnout in phase-III

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'

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

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

More than 65 per cent&nbsp;of Western Uttar Pradesh&#39;s electorate cast its vote&nbsp;in the second phase of polling in the state today (February 15), the Election Commission said. 
 
&quot;Polling was held peacefully amid tight security,&quot; UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. 
 
Voting took place in 67 Assembly constituencies across 11 districts in the second phase of polling.

Polling took place at a brisk pace in the districts of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun. It ended at 5 pm, PTI reported.

In the last assembly elections in 2012, voting for the same seats had recorded 60 per cent polling. 
 
In the second of the seven-phase election, 2.28 crore voters, including over 1.04 crore women, are eligible to cast their ballots in 14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations.

At Bareilly, central minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi&#39;s 115-year-old grandfather ZU Kazmi cast his ballot.

Long queues were seen outside polling stations in some places. Enthusiastic first-time voters were spotted taking selfies proudly showing indelible ink imprint on their fingers.

Muslim women in burqas were seen outside several booths, while a picture of a newly-married couple going to cast vote in Bareilly went viral on social media. 
 
Voter turnout, in the first phase on February 11, was recorded at 64.2 per cent - an increase of nearly three per cent from the first phase turnout in 2012.

Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 seats in 2012, followed by BSP&#39;s 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two.

Prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha.&nbsp;

Elaborate arrangements have been made for free and fair polling with the deployment of 51,771 police constables, 52,598 homeguards, 5,397 sub-inspectors and 3,666 head constables to maintain law and order.

The Election Commission has barred political parties and candidates from publishing advertisements in newspapers today and tomorrow without its approval, PTI reported. The poll body has asked them to get advertisements pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels before their publication.

The poll body said the decision was taken in view of past instances of advertisements of &quot;offending and misleading nature&quot; in print media on such occasions, which vitiate the elections. 
 
The upcoming five phases of polling will be held on February 19, 23, 27 and on March 4 and 8.

Counting of votes will take place on March 11.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

In 2012, of the 67 seats at stake, ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 in 2012, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two

More than 65 per cent of Western Uttar Pradesh's electorate cast its vote in the second phase of polling in the state today (February 15), the Election Commission said. "Polling was held peacefully amid tight security," UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. Voting took place in 67 Assembly constituencies across 11 districts in the second phase of polling. Polling took place at a brisk pace in the districts of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun. It ended at 5 pm, PTI reported. In the last assembly elections in 2012, voting for the same seats had recorded 60 per cent polling. In the second of the seven-phase election, 2.28 crore voters, including over 1.04 crore women, are eligible to cast their ballots in 14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations. At Bareilly, central minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's 115-year-old grandfather ZU Kazmi cast his ballot. Long queues were seen outside polling stations in some places. Enthusiastic first-time voters were spotted taking selfies proudly showing indelible ink imprint on their fingers. Muslim women in burqas were seen outside several booths, while a picture of a newly-married couple going to cast vote in Bareilly went viral on social media. Voter turnout, in the first phase on February 11, was recorded at 64.2 per cent - an increase of nearly three per cent from the first phase turnout in 2012. Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 seats in 2012, followed by BSP's 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. Prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. Elaborate arrangements have been made for free and fair polling with the deployment of 51,771 police constables, 52,598 homeguards, 5,397 sub-inspectors and 3,666 head constables to maintain law and order. The Election Commission has barred political parties and candidates from publishing advertisements in newspapers today and tomorrow without its approval, PTI reported. The poll body has asked them to get advertisements pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels before their publication. The poll body said the decision was taken in view of past instances of advertisements of "offending and misleading nature" in print media on such occasions, which vitiate the elections. The upcoming five phases of polling will be held on February 19, 23, 27 and on March 4 and 8. Counting of votes will take place on March 11. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Uttar Pradesh elections: More than 65% polling in Phase-2

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

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

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. 
&nbsp;

(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 Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Central Election Committee meeting is scheduled to take place today, in order to select the candidates for the upcoming Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Already behind schedule, the BJP is expected to announce the first chunk of names after a UP-centric meeting of party&#39;s Central Election Committee followed by two quick lists on January 17 and 19.

The poll process will formally start with the commencement of nominations for phase-I of the seven-phase elections on January 17.

According to reports, the first list post-CEC meeting is expected to carry as many as 150 names mostly from UP west and Rohilkhand regions going to polls in first and second phases.

The BJP on January 11 released the first list of candidates for Punjab and Goa polls.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda released the BJP&#39;s first list of 17 candidates for Punjab polls and 29 candidates for Goa polls.

(ANI)

The BJP is expected to announce the first chunk of names after a UP-centric meeting of party's Central Election Committee

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Central Election Committee meeting is scheduled to take place today, in order to select the candidates for the upcoming Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Already behind schedule, the BJP is expected to announce the first chunk of names after a UP-centric meeting of party's Central Election Committee followed by two quick lists on January 17 and 19. The poll process will formally start with the commencement of nominations for phase-I of the seven-phase elections on January 17. According to reports, the first list post-CEC meeting is expected to carry as many as 150 names mostly from UP west and Rohilkhand regions going to polls in first and second phases. The BJP on January 11 released the first list of candidates for Punjab and Goa polls. Union Health Minister JP Nadda released the BJP's first list of 17 candidates for Punjab polls and 29 candidates for Goa polls. (ANI)

India: BJP's CEC meeting today, candidates for UP, Uttrakhand polls expected

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

The ruling party of India&#39;s largest state Uttar Pradesh has descended into another bout of infighting over release of party candidates&#39; names for the upcoming regional elections.

Uttar Pradesh&#39;s ruling party Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh had on December 28 declared a list candidates for the state elections, which is to be held early next year.

But Mulayam made the announcement of 325 candidates without consulting his son and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, exacerbating the relationship between the duo.

The father-son trust&nbsp;hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh Yadav got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle Shivpal Yadav.&nbsp;

In what seems to be a deliberate snub to his son, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam refused to name his son as the chief ministerial candidate and excluded those who are perceived to be close to Akhilesh.

Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Singh Gope are members of the pro-Akhilesh bloc who have been left out of the candidates&#39; list.

In addition, Mulayam has given poll tickets to people who have not met openly feuded with Akhilesh, including Shivpal Yadav.

The timing of the announcement also underscored the fault lines in the family-run party. The names were announced when Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh was away in Bundelkhand.

&quot;The list does not include names of certain candidates who are sure to win. I will take it up with the SP chief and tell him that some of them have done really good work and they should be given tickets,&quot; an upset Akhilesh had said on December 28.

On Thursday (December 29), Akhilesh met his supporters&nbsp;at his 5 Kalidas Marg residence in India&#39;s northern city of Lucknow to defy his father&#39;s plan of action.

Indian newspaper DNA has learnt that Akhilesh might release his own list of names, a development that is likely to throw the party into further turmoil. Indian media reports suggest he might come out with his own&nbsp;list of 167 candidates. The renegade candidates named by Akhilesh might contest as independent candidates, sources close to the chief minister said.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The protracted family turf war in Samajwadi Party has exacerbated in the run up to India's largest regional elections

The ruling party of India's largest state Uttar Pradesh has descended into another bout of infighting over release of party candidates' names for the upcoming regional elections. Uttar Pradesh's ruling party Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh had on December 28 declared a list candidates for the state elections, which is to be held early next year. But Mulayam made the announcement of 325 candidates without consulting his son and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, exacerbating the relationship between the duo. The father-son trust hit a low in mid-August when Akhilesh Yadav got into an acrimonious power struggle with his uncle Shivpal Yadav. In what seems to be a deliberate snub to his son, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam refused to name his son as the chief ministerial candidate and excluded those who are perceived to be close to Akhilesh. Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Singh Gope are members of the pro-Akhilesh bloc who have been left out of the candidates' list. In addition, Mulayam has given poll tickets to people who have not met openly feuded with Akhilesh, including Shivpal Yadav. The timing of the announcement also underscored the fault lines in the family-run party. The names were announced when Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh was away in Bundelkhand. "The list does not include names of certain candidates who are sure to win. I will take it up with the SP chief and tell him that some of them have done really good work and they should be given tickets," an upset Akhilesh had said on December 28. On Thursday (December 29), Akhilesh met his supporters at his 5 Kalidas Marg residence in India's northern city of Lucknow to defy his father's plan of action. Indian newspaper DNA has learnt that Akhilesh might release his own list of names, a development that is likely to throw the party into further turmoil. Indian media reports suggest he might come out with his own list of 167 candidates. The renegade candidates named by Akhilesh might contest as independent candidates, sources close to the chief minister said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Uttar Pradesh elections: Ruling party split wide open after poll names release

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

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

The talks between the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on seat sharing for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is in the last phase of discussion, with the Congress also wanting the position of deputy CM as part of the deal, sources told WION.

Sources confirmed to WION that talks between all three constituents are taking place at the highest level. &nbsp;The SP has proposed 78 seats to the Congress and 22 seats to RLD which still holds sway in some districts of the western Uttar Pradesh. But well-placed sources confirmed that Congress is still insisting on 100 seats and the final decision on the matter would be taken by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Sources also say that apart from numbers, there is also a dispute on 15 seats which are being described as &ldquo;prestige seats&rdquo; by all sides. There is the possibility that a friendly fight can take place on these but the Congress wants to avoid it as it would send a wrong signal to the electorate.

The understanding is that if the three parties fail to come together then it would become a straight fight between the BJP and BSP. Even the SP stands to lose a chunk of upper castes in case it fights against all other parties. Even Congress stands to benefit as it has no organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh and with an SP-alliance, its candidate can get the minority votes which as of now lie with Mulayum Singh Yadav. Lastly, RLD&rsquo;s presence would strengthen the SP in western UP where there is often a straight fight between the BSP and the BJP.

Insiders say that alliance should be announced at the earliest for early distribution of election tickets and ample time to project Akhilesh Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate. For now, the ball is in Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s court. 
 
(WION)

Congress also wants the position of deputy chief minister, sources told WION

The talks between the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on seat sharing for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh is in the last phase of discussion, with the Congress also wanting the position of deputy CM as part of the deal, sources told WION. Sources confirmed to WION that talks between all three constituents are taking place at the highest level. The SP has proposed 78 seats to the Congress and 22 seats to RLD which still holds sway in some districts of the western Uttar Pradesh. But well-placed sources confirmed that Congress is still insisting on 100 seats and the final decision on the matter would be taken by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Sources also say that apart from numbers, there is also a dispute on 15 seats which are being described as “prestige seats” by all sides. There is the possibility that a friendly fight can take place on these but the Congress wants to avoid it as it would send a wrong signal to the electorate. The understanding is that if the three parties fail to come together then it would become a straight fight between the BJP and BSP. Even the SP stands to lose a chunk of upper castes in case it fights against all other parties. Even Congress stands to benefit as it has no organisational structure in Uttar Pradesh and with an SP-alliance, its candidate can get the minority votes which as of now lie with Mulayum Singh Yadav. Lastly, RLD’s presence would strengthen the SP in western UP where there is often a straight fight between the BSP and the BJP. Insiders say that alliance should be announced at the earliest for early distribution of election tickets and ample time to project Akhilesh Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate. For now, the ball is in Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s court. (WION)

Uttar Pradesh polls: Grand alliance talks between SP, Congress and RLD enter final stretch in India's most populous state

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

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