Voting in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Alapur constituency&nbsp;in Ambedkar Nagar district is underway.&nbsp;

The election&nbsp;in this constituency was to happen in the fifth phase on February 27 but&nbsp;was&nbsp;deferred due to the death of&nbsp;the Samajwadi Party candidate Chandrashekhar Kanaujia.

Voting has also started&nbsp;in Uttarakhand&#39;s Karnaprayag constituency, which was postponed after the BSP candidate from the seat Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi died in a road accident.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Uttarakhand: Polling underway in Karnaprayag, currently held by Congress&#39;s AP Maikhuri, BSP&#39;s Kanwasi&#39;s widow Jyoti &amp; BJP&#39;s SS Negi in fray <a href="https://t.co/ZHPr5CkKpi">pic.twitter.com/ZHPr5CkKpi</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/839717779825553408">March 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Elections to the last phase ended yesterday in Uttar Pradesh.

Results of the assembly elections in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa&nbsp;and Uttarakhand&nbsp;will be announced on March 11.

(WION with inputs from ANI) &nbsp;

The voting in these two constituencies was postponed after deaths of two candidates

Voting in Uttar Pradesh's Alapur constituency in Ambedkar Nagar district is underway. The election in this constituency was to happen in the fifth phase on February 27 but was deferred due to the death of the Samajwadi Party candidate Chandrashekhar Kanaujia. Voting has also started in Uttarakhand's Karnaprayag constituency, which was postponed after the BSP candidate from the seat Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi died in a road accident. Uttarakhand: Polling underway in Karnaprayag, currently held by Congress's AP Maikhuri, BSP's Kanwasi's widow Jyoti & BJP's SS Negi in fray pic.twitter.com/ZHPr5CkKpi — ANI (@ANI_news) March 9, 2017 × Elections to the last phase ended yesterday in Uttar Pradesh. Results of the assembly elections in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand will be announced on March 11. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Voting underway in Alapur of Uttar Pradesh, Karnaprayag of Uttarakhand

Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power in the BJP-led central government tells WION&#39;s correspondent Kartikeya&#39;s Sharma that Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated the worst form of discrimination while giving electricity connections to the people. He alleges that funds from the Deen Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (on supply of power) were used for a particular committee. 
 
Q: The campaign has been very tough for all parties in Uttar Pradesh but why did the Prime Minister need to spend 3 days in the constituency?

A: That speaks volumes about his people connect. Instructions had been given to all the senior leaders to support all the candidates in the assembly. He himself said that he would go to every area in his constituency and it made a difference in each area.

Q: Did his campaign make a difference?

A: The fact is that he has been campaigning in every phase. It is part of an entire campaign as it is his constituency.

Q: This election turned very personal. Why did this happen?

A: There wasn&rsquo;t anything from our side. But some politicians got too hassled and used some words. The PM restricted himself to the issue of development

Q: Though the first part of the campaign was focused on development but in the second part who focus shifted to &quot;shamshan&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;kabristan&quot;?

A: As far as BJP is concerned, we maintain that Uttar Pradesh has lost out several years in the development cycle. We need to restore the lost glory of the state. As far as other issues are concerned they are a composite whole. Law and order is an issue in the state. It is a state which has lost control on law and order. Then corruption too is an issue. In this state, development is also limited to a couple of places where family prevails and even discrimination on the basis of caste and religion seems to have taken place here. We want to change all that. We want development for everyone.

Q: Coming back to the issue of &quot;shamshan&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;kabristan&quot;, BJP did pursue the issue?

A: It is an absolute reality. There are figures to substantiate it. It shows that in the last 5 years, huge sums of government money was dedicated to graveyards. No one is denying the use of it but then it should be used for all the communities and should be based on certain population criteria. You cannot have a situation that you pamper one community for the vote bank and that what we want to change in Uttar Pradesh.

Q: Your Home Minister Rajnath Singh did say that Muslims should have been given tickets. What do you say?

A: We are very clear on it. What he perhaps would have meant was that as more and more communities get involved and get associated with BJP, they would get the opportunity to fight on our tickets. Look at Goa. The entire Christian community supported the BJP. We have not received lot of support from the minority community but we still have two Union Ministers who are Muslims. Unfortunately, we cannot get them elected because we don&rsquo;t receive support from them. If as and when communities get involved with us, then they would get a larger role. We don&rsquo;t decide candidates on the basis on caste and creed. It is the ability of the candidate to win the election that remains the criteria for us.

Q: In the hindsight, should BJP have projected a candidate for chief minister (CM)? Or the PM&#39;s campaign was good enough?

A: It worked in favour of us that we did not put up a chief ministerial candidate. The legislative unit will decide the chief ministerial candidate. We will also be seeing which regions throw up which candidates. People have decidedly voted for the BJP. They have voted for change.

Q: What is the reality of power in Uttar Pradesh and is it correct as the charge was made out that the distribution of power in UP has taken place on religious lines? Is it correct or a myth?

A: I will answer the second part first. It is the truth. This state has demonstrated the worst form of discrimination, that too in giving electricity connection to the people. I&rsquo;m amazed and this is a heinous crime.

Member of Parliament (MP) from Muradabad Kanwar Sarvesh Singh wrote me a letter saying that district power officials were not giving power connections to everyone and were discriminating on the basis of religion. I immediately marked the letter to the state government. The state government said that no such discrimination is being done. The MP went to the Prime Minister. I set up a high-level committee and they came up with the finding after inspecting eight villages that people were being discriminated on the basis of religion. Villages were being asked for money for connections which they were entitled to.

And clearly, quality defects were too many. Inspectors in Uttar Pradesh have pointed out 8,000 quality defects. We recommended that an FIR be filed against state officials and contractors. But what is shameful is the discrimination which has happened on the lines of religion.

I have also been told that money that has been allocated for the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (on power supply) is selectively being used in certain villages where particular community people reside.

Q: Was this brought to the notice of the prime minister?

A: Yes, this was brought to the notice of the prime minister and we are extremely concerned and once we come to power we will make sure that everyone, irrespective of their religion, gets entitled to a power connection.

In the 12th Five Year plan, Centre had given money for 32 lakh free power connections but the state government could only give 5.5 lakh connections.

Q: What is wrong with Uttar Pradesh when it comes to power infrastructure?

A: When the chief minister (Akhilesh Yadav) and people like Azam Khan make public statements that we are such a good government that we don&#39;t take action against power theft, then what do you do. That is there a claim to fame and that is why the state is suffering. That is why honest people are ending up paying more because theft continues. We will bring in feeder segregation in Uttar Pradesh.

Q: Is it correct that public sector power units are underutilised in UP?

A: More so because if you don&rsquo;t collect power that you don&rsquo;t produce then you would not be able to run it efficiently. Today the country has a power surplus. You need to procure it and give it to your people. Despite having sufficient power, they don&rsquo;t procure it. Saifai is the only place where the family clan comes and Saifai is the only place where power is given 24X7.

Q: Who is the adversary for BJP in this election? SP-Congress alliance?

A: Alliance opened the inning with a big bang but it disappeared faster than anything one could imagine.

Q: Are you saying that the Rahul Gandhi-Akhilesh Yadav pairing didn&rsquo;t work?

A: Whoever has partnered with Congress has suffered in the last three years. The Congress today is, has been and post-elections they will find themselves in a deeper crisis. To my mind the relevance of Congress in the Indian politics is getting over.

Q: Are you coming power?

A: We are coming to power and we could possibly be looking into a two-third majority.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EP66BFk4EyQ"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
In a 3-legged race in Uttar Pradesh, WION&#39;s Kartikeya Sharma caught up with the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

 
(WION)

India's Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal says the Deen Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana funds were being used for a particular committee

Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power in the BJP-led central government tells WION's correspondent Kartikeya's Sharma that Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated the worst form of discrimination while giving electricity connections to the people. He alleges that funds from the Deen Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (on supply of power) were used for a particular committee. Q: The campaign has been very tough for all parties in Uttar Pradesh but why did the Prime Minister need to spend 3 days in the constituency? A: That speaks volumes about his people connect. Instructions had been given to all the senior leaders to support all the candidates in the assembly. He himself said that he would go to every area in his constituency and it made a difference in each area. Q: Did his campaign make a difference? A: The fact is that he has been campaigning in every phase. It is part of an entire campaign as it is his constituency. Q: This election turned very personal. Why did this happen? A: There wasn’t anything from our side. But some politicians got too hassled and used some words. The PM restricted himself to the issue of development Q: Though the first part of the campaign was focused on development but in the second part who focus shifted to "shamshan" and "kabristan"? A: As far as BJP is concerned, we maintain that Uttar Pradesh has lost out several years in the development cycle. We need to restore the lost glory of the state. As far as other issues are concerned they are a composite whole. Law and order is an issue in the state. It is a state which has lost control on law and order. Then corruption too is an issue. In this state, development is also limited to a couple of places where family prevails and even discrimination on the basis of caste and religion seems to have taken place here. We want to change all that. We want development for everyone. Q: Coming back to the issue of "shamshan" and "kabristan", BJP did pursue the issue? A: It is an absolute reality. There are figures to substantiate it. It shows that in the last 5 years, huge sums of government money was dedicated to graveyards. No one is denying the use of it but then it should be used for all the communities and should be based on certain population criteria. You cannot have a situation that you pamper one community for the vote bank and that what we want to change in Uttar Pradesh. Q: Your Home Minister Rajnath Singh did say that Muslims should have been given tickets. What do you say? A: We are very clear on it. What he perhaps would have meant was that as more and more communities get involved and get associated with BJP, they would get the opportunity to fight on our tickets. Look at Goa. The entire Christian community supported the BJP. We have not received lot of support from the minority community but we still have two Union Ministers who are Muslims. Unfortunately, we cannot get them elected because we don’t receive support from them. If as and when communities get involved with us, then they would get a larger role. We don’t decide candidates on the basis on caste and creed. It is the ability of the candidate to win the election that remains the criteria for us. Q: In the hindsight, should BJP have projected a candidate for chief minister (CM)? Or the PM's campaign was good enough? A: It worked in favour of us that we did not put up a chief ministerial candidate. The legislative unit will decide the chief ministerial candidate. We will also be seeing which regions throw up which candidates. People have decidedly voted for the BJP. They have voted for change. Q: What is the reality of power in Uttar Pradesh and is it correct as the charge was made out that the distribution of power in UP has taken place on religious lines? Is it correct or a myth? A: I will answer the second part first. It is the truth. This state has demonstrated the worst form of discrimination, that too in giving electricity connection to the people. I’m amazed and this is a heinous crime. Member of Parliament (MP) from Muradabad Kanwar Sarvesh Singh wrote me a letter saying that district power officials were not giving power connections to everyone and were discriminating on the basis of religion. I immediately marked the letter to the state government. The state government said that no such discrimination is being done. The MP went to the Prime Minister. I set up a high-level committee and they came up with the finding after inspecting eight villages that people were being discriminated on the basis of religion. Villages were being asked for money for connections which they were entitled to. And clearly, quality defects were too many. Inspectors in Uttar Pradesh have pointed out 8,000 quality defects. We recommended that an FIR be filed against state officials and contractors. But what is shameful is the discrimination which has happened on the lines of religion. I have also been told that money that has been allocated for the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (on power supply) is selectively being used in certain villages where particular community people reside. Q: Was this brought to the notice of the prime minister? A: Yes, this was brought to the notice of the prime minister and we are extremely concerned and once we come to power we will make sure that everyone, irrespective of their religion, gets entitled to a power connection. In the 12th Five Year plan, Centre had given money for 32 lakh free power connections but the state government could only give 5.5 lakh connections. Q: What is wrong with Uttar Pradesh when it comes to power infrastructure? A: When the chief minister (Akhilesh Yadav) and people like Azam Khan make public statements that we are such a good government that we don't take action against power theft, then what do you do. That is there a claim to fame and that is why the state is suffering. That is why honest people are ending up paying more because theft continues. We will bring in feeder segregation in Uttar Pradesh. Q: Is it correct that public sector power units are underutilised in UP? A: More so because if you don’t collect power that you don’t produce then you would not be able to run it efficiently. Today the country has a power surplus. You need to procure it and give it to your people. Despite having sufficient power, they don’t procure it. Saifai is the only place where the family clan comes and Saifai is the only place where power is given 24X7. Q: Who is the adversary for BJP in this election? SP-Congress alliance? A: Alliance opened the inning with a big bang but it disappeared faster than anything one could imagine. Q: Are you saying that the Rahul Gandhi-Akhilesh Yadav pairing didn’t work? A: Whoever has partnered with Congress has suffered in the last three years. The Congress today is, has been and post-elections they will find themselves in a deeper crisis. To my mind the relevance of Congress in the Indian politics is getting over. Q: Are you coming power? A: We are coming to power and we could possibly be looking into a two-third majority. In a 3-legged race in Uttar Pradesh, WION's Kartikeya Sharma caught up with the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal (WION) × (WION)

Exclusive: Power distribution in Uttar Pradesh done on religious lines, claims India's power minister

Invoking the Kanpur train accident as an example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident, in which 150 people were killed, was carried out by perpetrators &quot;sitting across the border&quot; in Nepal.

The prime minister was addressing an election rally in the state&#39;s Gonda district, which goes to polls on February 27.

&ldquo;The Kanpur rail accident in which hundreds of people were killed was a conspiracy and conspirators carried it out sitting across the border&hellip; Gonda is adjoining Nepal,&rdquo; he said referring to the arrest of alleged ISI agent and the prime suspect in the Kanpur train tragedy, Shamshul Hoda, by the Nepal Police on February 7.

&quot;If the cross-border foes want to carry out their work, is it not necessary that more vigil is maintained in Gonda,&quot; Modi asked people as he exhorted them to vote for the BJP. &quot;Gonda needs to elect only those who are full of patriotism, only then we can do anything good for Gonda,&quot; he said.

Hitting out at the SP over the poor law and order situation, Modi said police stations in the state had turned into offices of the ruling party. &quot;No justice can be expected from these police stations as they are helpless as they await nod for action from SP bosses,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The PM also asked people not to make a mistake in the election by voting for the BSP or the SP and instead vote for the BJP.

&ldquo;There should not be any mistake in this election&hellip; be it the SP or the BSP, not a single seat should go to them&hellip;100 per cent seats should be won by the BJP,&rdquo; the prime minister said.

Modi also criticised the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP for the poor education system, saying the &quot;copying mafia&quot; in the state was harming the youth with their &quot;contracts&quot; of colleges and schools during exams.

Calling the education system in Uttar Pradesh &#39;corrupt&#39; and &#39;poor&#39;, Modi asked him &quot;You went to Australia for higher studies. What about the students studying here?&quot;.

&quot;When I was thinking about speaking on the issue, I must honestly admit I was slightly scared as this topic heard on television by people in other parts of the country could give ideas to anti social elements to replicate the &#39;Sapa (Samajwadi Party) ka karobaar,&quot; he said to applause.

The prime minister said the inclusive policies of the BJP such as the Jan Dhan Yojna and the Rupay card were empowering the poor by bringing them into the banking system. He also cited the example of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on gas connections and said millions of women had benefited under the central government scheme.

&quot;Till now 1.75 crore people have been given free gas connection and they have been saved from the hazardous smoke that choked their lungs,&quot; PM Modi said. 
 
He also promised small farmers that he would waive off their loans and also give them cash under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in case their crops were damaged within 15 days of reaping.

Modi also took a dig at the Congress&nbsp;for their poor show in Maharashtra&#39;s civic body elections.

&quot;The results in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) polls are heartening for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Where on the other hand , the Congress party has been completely wiped out from Maharashtra,&quot; said Modi.

&quot;People of our country have &#39;third eye&#39; like Lord Shiva and can differentiate between good and bad,&quot; Modi said in context of the festival of Maha Shivaratri which is being celebrated across the country today. 
Elections to the state are being held in seven phases. The results will be declared on March 11. 
 
This is the second time that the BJP has brought in the issue of terrorism in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had asked the people of Uttar Pradesh to get rid of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the Pakistani terrorist who was hanged after being convicted for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

&quot;People of Uttar Pradesh get rid of &lsquo;Kasab&rsquo; in this year&rsquo;s election. I say this again, People of Uttar Pradesh get rid of &lsquo;Kasab&rsquo; in this year&rsquo;s election. Don&rsquo;t take any other meaning of &lsquo;Kasab&rsquo;. By Kasab I mean, K for Congress party, S for Samajwadi Party and B for Bahujan Samaj Party. Unless you end Kasab, Uttar Pradesh will not develop,&rdquo; Amit Shah said at an election rally on February 22. 
 
(WION with inputs from &nbsp;PTI, ANI)

Narendra Modi blamed the Samajwadi Party government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state

Invoking the Kanpur train accident as an example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident, in which 150 people were killed, was carried out by perpetrators "sitting across the border" in Nepal. The prime minister was addressing an election rally in the state's Gonda district, which goes to polls on February 27. “The Kanpur rail accident in which hundreds of people were killed was a conspiracy and conspirators carried it out sitting across the border… Gonda is adjoining Nepal,” he said referring to the arrest of alleged ISI agent and the prime suspect in the Kanpur train tragedy, Shamshul Hoda, by the Nepal Police on February 7. "If the cross-border foes want to carry out their work, is it not necessary that more vigil is maintained in Gonda," Modi asked people as he exhorted them to vote for the BJP. "Gonda needs to elect only those who are full of patriotism, only then we can do anything good for Gonda," he said. Hitting out at the SP over the poor law and order situation, Modi said police stations in the state had turned into offices of the ruling party. "No justice can be expected from these police stations as they are helpless as they await nod for action from SP bosses," he said. The PM also asked people not to make a mistake in the election by voting for the BSP or the SP and instead vote for the BJP. “There should not be any mistake in this election… be it the SP or the BSP, not a single seat should go to them…100 per cent seats should be won by the BJP,” the prime minister said. Modi also criticised the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP for the poor education system, saying the "copying mafia" in the state was harming the youth with their "contracts" of colleges and schools during exams. Calling the education system in Uttar Pradesh 'corrupt' and 'poor', Modi asked him "You went to Australia for higher studies. What about the students studying here?". "When I was thinking about speaking on the issue, I must honestly admit I was slightly scared as this topic heard on television by people in other parts of the country could give ideas to anti social elements to replicate the 'Sapa (Samajwadi Party) ka karobaar," he said to applause. The prime minister said the inclusive policies of the BJP such as the Jan Dhan Yojna and the Rupay card were empowering the poor by bringing them into the banking system. He also cited the example of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on gas connections and said millions of women had benefited under the central government scheme. "Till now 1.75 crore people have been given free gas connection and they have been saved from the hazardous smoke that choked their lungs," PM Modi said. He also promised small farmers that he would waive off their loans and also give them cash under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in case their crops were damaged within 15 days of reaping. Modi also took a dig at the Congress for their poor show in Maharashtra's civic body elections. "The results in BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) polls are heartening for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Where on the other hand , the Congress party has been completely wiped out from Maharashtra," said Modi. "People of our country have 'third eye' like Lord Shiva and can differentiate between good and bad," Modi said in context of the festival of Maha Shivaratri which is being celebrated across the country today. Elections to the state are being held in seven phases. The results will be declared on March 11. This is the second time that the BJP has brought in the issue of terrorism in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had asked the people of Uttar Pradesh to get rid of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the Pakistani terrorist who was hanged after being convicted for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. "People of Uttar Pradesh get rid of ‘Kasab’ in this year’s election. I say this again, People of Uttar Pradesh get rid of ‘Kasab’ in this year’s election. Don’t take any other meaning of ‘Kasab’. By Kasab I mean, K for Congress party, S for Samajwadi Party and B for Bahujan Samaj Party. Unless you end Kasab, Uttar Pradesh will not develop,” Amit Shah said at an election rally on February 22. (WION with inputs from PTI, ANI)

Kanpur train accident was a conspiracy from across the border: PM Modi at election rally

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was &quot;no question&quot; of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;as it is a part of its poll strategy.

Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, &quot;Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party).&quot;

A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow.&nbsp;

In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati&#39;s BSP quite easily.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
They will ask your religion &amp; caste first, if that doesn&#39;t seem favourable to them, they won&#39;t give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura <a href="https://t.co/zSOVBahTNV">pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834367588041945088">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with &quot;full majority&quot;.

He said it was &quot;difficult to guess&quot; who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a &quot;triangular contest&quot; in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP.

Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation.

Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring &quot;acche din&quot; (good days) back.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Due to some reasons, I couldn&#39;t be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/DzTqwvfuwG">pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834354553692753921">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, &amp; I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter <a href="https://t.co/B3XIIQP3RB">pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834355050600361984">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation.

&quot;You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said.

On the SP&#39;s seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, &quot;If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last.&quot;

After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav <a href="https://t.co/1TM4d1o2Xv">pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834347017937760256">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati

On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by &quot;sources&quot; that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources,&quot; Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district.

&quot;You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state,&quot; the BSP chief declared.

She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat&#39;s Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow.

&quot;Now the people will refer to the BJP as &#39;party of frauds&#39; instead of the &#39;party of people&#39; not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country,&quot; Mayawati said in Faizabad.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Congress party in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is toying with the idea of using &quot;insider vs outsider&quot;&nbsp;idiom in the upcoming assembly elections. A highly placed source in the campaign team confirmed to WION that Congress would like to portray Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi as local boys against Narendra Modi as an outsider.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We have not formalised the proposal but it is one idea we would like to play with,&rdquo; the source said. The reason why Congress has zeroed in on this idea is because the BJP has not declared a chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and would be banking on the charisma of Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

The source also said that since it is an assembly election Akhilesh and Rahul can easily be portrayed as local boys and the prime minister as a rank outsider since the chief minister&#39;s face is the one that stays back in the state once the election is over. 
&nbsp; 
The idea also stands an equally good chance of running in hot water as Modi as a national campaigner is still the most powerful face in the country. Narendra Modi also happens to be a sitting member of parliament (MP) from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

By calling him an outsider, Modi can also get to play on an emotional pitch that flimsy issues are being used to personally target him and lastly even Gandhis migrated from Kashmir and settled in Allahabad which embraced them as their own.&nbsp;

Finally, the idea that the prime minister who has the national mandate be called an outsider in itself looks weak when it was under his leadership that the BJP won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the general elections in 2014. 
&nbsp; 
Many would say that this goes with Prashant Kishore&rsquo;s style which relies on powerful hashtags focused on a face rather than party issues. Even in this case Prashant Kishore will campaign focusing on the face rather than manifesto promises. From &quot;chai par charcha&quot;, and &quot;Bihar mein bahar ho, Nitish Kumar ho&quot; to &quot;Coffee with Captain&quot; and now &quot;Rawat sang dawat&quot;, all have been produced by Kishore&rsquo;s team. 
&nbsp; 
The sources also indicated that Priyanka Gandhi&rsquo;s role in UP campaign will remain very limited and focus will only be on the campaign of Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. The source also confirmed to WION that Priyanka&rsquo;s campaign will be limited to Rai Barelli and Amethi and that too will remain low profile in nature. Sources said that SP-Congress campaign would have more local flavour than national.&nbsp;

(WION)

Sources also said that Priyanka Gandhi is likely to play a limited role in the upcoming UP assembly elections

The Congress party in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is toying with the idea of using "insider vs outsider" idiom in the upcoming assembly elections. A highly placed source in the campaign team confirmed to WION that Congress would like to portray Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi as local boys against Narendra Modi as an outsider. “We have not formalised the proposal but it is one idea we would like to play with,” the source said. The reason why Congress has zeroed in on this idea is because the BJP has not declared a chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and would be banking on the charisma of Narendra Modi. The source also said that since it is an assembly election Akhilesh and Rahul can easily be portrayed as local boys and the prime minister as a rank outsider since the chief minister's face is the one that stays back in the state once the election is over. The idea also stands an equally good chance of running in hot water as Modi as a national campaigner is still the most powerful face in the country. Narendra Modi also happens to be a sitting member of parliament (MP) from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. By calling him an outsider, Modi can also get to play on an emotional pitch that flimsy issues are being used to personally target him and lastly even Gandhis migrated from Kashmir and settled in Allahabad which embraced them as their own. Finally, the idea that the prime minister who has the national mandate be called an outsider in itself looks weak when it was under his leadership that the BJP won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the general elections in 2014. Many would say that this goes with Prashant Kishore’s style which relies on powerful hashtags focused on a face rather than party issues. Even in this case Prashant Kishore will campaign focusing on the face rather than manifesto promises. From "chai par charcha", and "Bihar mein bahar ho, Nitish Kumar ho" to "Coffee with Captain" and now "Rawat sang dawat", all have been produced by Kishore’s team. The sources also indicated that Priyanka Gandhi’s role in UP campaign will remain very limited and focus will only be on the campaign of Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. The source also confirmed to WION that Priyanka’s campaign will be limited to Rai Barelli and Amethi and that too will remain low profile in nature. Sources said that SP-Congress campaign would have more local flavour than national. (WION)

UP elections: Akhilesh & Rahul to fight on 'insider vs outsider' card

Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders engaged in thrashing out the contours of their alliance by exchanging lists of seats and candidates last week were in for a rude shock to find Muawiyah Ali, who had won Deoband by-poll elections last year, in both parties&#39; lists.

The Congress had claimed the seat, saying it had wrested it from the SP only last year by a margin of 3,400 votes. Ironically, the party seemed to be blissfully unaware that Ali had since joined the SP and being the sitting MLA, had got that party&rsquo;s ticket. The Congress managed to get the seat but immediately replaced Ali with Mukesh Chaudhary. Ali, after realising the seat had gone to the Congress, reportedly insisted on fielding his wife who he claimed was still a party member.

The comedy of errors is a perfect illustration of how the Congress and the SP are targeting the same target audience in their bid to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state; in the 2014 general elections, the right-wing party swept through the state, winning 71 of 80 Lok Sabha seats.

But the alliance has not been smooth sailing; that ship many a time came close to crashing on the rocks of political obstinacy and unpredictability. It finally took the firm hands of two women &mdash; Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav, both furiously backchanneling at the close &mdash; to steady nerves on both sides and bring the ship safely into harbour.

Sources in both parties told DNA that the alliance, finalised only yesterday, was part of backroom discussions since October 2016, when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi wound up his 3,500-km &lsquo;Kisan Yatra&rsquo; across 48 districts and 141 Assembly segments. Upon returning Delhi, he reportedly toned down his initial resistance towards an alliance after a number of local leaders told him that going it alone would not cut much ice in a four-way contest and would only benefit the BJP.

Insiders say that most workers, including state unit chief Raj Babbar, initially favoured opening talks with the Bahujan SamaJ party (BSP). Those plans were scuttled after Mayawati rejected the overtures, saying she was only interested in a post-election tie-up.

Campaign strategist Prashant Kishor, who had earlier been asked to stay away from the state&rsquo;s matters, was brought back to establish contact with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, a move that coincided with the ongoing internecine Yadav family feud.

However, sources say it was only after the other Gandhi scion, Priyanka, came into the picture that Rahul gave his go-ahead for the alliance. She also reportedly shot down his idea of taking advantage of the SP infighting, as well as of demanding at least 200 seats, pointing out that the party likely did not have that many viable candidates.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh was not sure of getting the party symbol and feared that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav could field candidates to undermine his chances. To shore up his strength, therefore, claim Congress leaders, Akhilesh had himself offered 144 seats to them. But when the dust settled on the SP&rsquo;s internal war, with Akhilesh firmly in the saddle, his aides opposed giving more than 80 seats to the Congress.

It was again left to Priyanka, who worked with Akhilesh&rsquo;s wife Dimple, to salvage the alliance. Over the past month, it is believed that Priyanka made at least three trips to Lucknow by a special aircraft to carry on negotiations, without anyone having an inkling of what she was up to. On Friday, after the SP announced its list of candidates, Priyanka is believed to have exchanged as many as a dozen text messages with Akhilesh and his wife Dimple.

In one, she is understood to have written something along the lines of &lsquo;If you do not align with Congress, it that means the Samajwadi Party is supporting the rule of BJP&rsquo;. Akhilesh, said an person familiar with the exchange, replied that that situation would never arise so long as Mulayam Yadav was the driving force of the party.

The only other persons in the loop were Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad &mdash; whose role was a surprise, given his past opposition to such an alliance &mdash; and Akhilesh&rsquo;s uncle Ram Gopal Yadav. It was finally Azad who broke the news of the alliance and asked local Congress leaders to identify seats. Azad reportedly met Ram Gopal secretly at least thrice to finalise the deal. In the 2012 elections, the SP had won 226 seats while the Congress had a mere 20 MLAs since eight of its members, including former state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, later defected to other parties.

Psychologically, they say, it will help Akhilesh beat anti-incumbency and pull floating voters, and also defeat the BJP strategy to divide the Muslim vote. Both parties are aiming for 35-37 per cent votes by targeting 25 per cent non-Muslims and attracting Muslims, who are 18 per cent of the population.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav worked furiously behind the scenes to get the alliance going

Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders engaged in thrashing out the contours of their alliance by exchanging lists of seats and candidates last week were in for a rude shock to find Muawiyah Ali, who had won Deoband by-poll elections last year, in both parties' lists. The Congress had claimed the seat, saying it had wrested it from the SP only last year by a margin of 3,400 votes. Ironically, the party seemed to be blissfully unaware that Ali had since joined the SP and being the sitting MLA, had got that party’s ticket. The Congress managed to get the seat but immediately replaced Ali with Mukesh Chaudhary. Ali, after realising the seat had gone to the Congress, reportedly insisted on fielding his wife who he claimed was still a party member. The comedy of errors is a perfect illustration of how the Congress and the SP are targeting the same target audience in their bid to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state; in the 2014 general elections, the right-wing party swept through the state, winning 71 of 80 Lok Sabha seats. But the alliance has not been smooth sailing; that ship many a time came close to crashing on the rocks of political obstinacy and unpredictability. It finally took the firm hands of two women — Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav, both furiously backchanneling at the close — to steady nerves on both sides and bring the ship safely into harbour. Sources in both parties told DNA that the alliance, finalised only yesterday, was part of backroom discussions since October 2016, when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi wound up his 3,500-km ‘Kisan Yatra’ across 48 districts and 141 Assembly segments. Upon returning Delhi, he reportedly toned down his initial resistance towards an alliance after a number of local leaders told him that going it alone would not cut much ice in a four-way contest and would only benefit the BJP. Insiders say that most workers, including state unit chief Raj Babbar, initially favoured opening talks with the Bahujan SamaJ party (BSP). Those plans were scuttled after Mayawati rejected the overtures, saying she was only interested in a post-election tie-up. Campaign strategist Prashant Kishor, who had earlier been asked to stay away from the state’s matters, was brought back to establish contact with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, a move that coincided with the ongoing internecine Yadav family feud. However, sources say it was only after the other Gandhi scion, Priyanka, came into the picture that Rahul gave his go-ahead for the alliance. She also reportedly shot down his idea of taking advantage of the SP infighting, as well as of demanding at least 200 seats, pointing out that the party likely did not have that many viable candidates. Meanwhile, Akhilesh was not sure of getting the party symbol and feared that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav could field candidates to undermine his chances. To shore up his strength, therefore, claim Congress leaders, Akhilesh had himself offered 144 seats to them. But when the dust settled on the SP’s internal war, with Akhilesh firmly in the saddle, his aides opposed giving more than 80 seats to the Congress. It was again left to Priyanka, who worked with Akhilesh’s wife Dimple, to salvage the alliance. Over the past month, it is believed that Priyanka made at least three trips to Lucknow by a special aircraft to carry on negotiations, without anyone having an inkling of what she was up to. On Friday, after the SP announced its list of candidates, Priyanka is believed to have exchanged as many as a dozen text messages with Akhilesh and his wife Dimple. In one, she is understood to have written something along the lines of ‘If you do not align with Congress, it that means the Samajwadi Party is supporting the rule of BJP’. Akhilesh, said an person familiar with the exchange, replied that that situation would never arise so long as Mulayam Yadav was the driving force of the party. The only other persons in the loop were Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad — whose role was a surprise, given his past opposition to such an alliance — and Akhilesh’s uncle Ram Gopal Yadav. It was finally Azad who broke the news of the alliance and asked local Congress leaders to identify seats. Azad reportedly met Ram Gopal secretly at least thrice to finalise the deal. In the 2012 elections, the SP had won 226 seats while the Congress had a mere 20 MLAs since eight of its members, including former state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, later defected to other parties. Psychologically, they say, it will help Akhilesh beat anti-incumbency and pull floating voters, and also defeat the BJP strategy to divide the Muslim vote. Both parties are aiming for 35-37 per cent votes by targeting 25 per cent non-Muslims and attracting Muslims, who are 18 per cent of the population. (This report first appeared in DNA)

A tale of two women: How the Congress-SP deal was salvaged