 "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. (Photo: PTI)")
Shrugging off the ongoing power struggle in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and his own family, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is set to blow the party’s poll bugle for the 2017 elections tomorrow.
He would kick start his ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra’ from the historic La Martiniere College Ground here, a stone’s throw from the CM’s official residence on 5 Vikramaditya Marg around 900 hrs.
The Yatra is a mass contact programme before the polls to propagate his development projects and schemes. It is being organised at a time, when senior SP leaders are desperately tying to sew an alliance with ‘like minded secular’ parties such as the Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Congress to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from capturing power in UP.
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Party patriarch and president Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to flag off the much publicised Yatra in the presence of thousands of party cadres, especially youth wing leaders, who are projected to congregate in Lucknow from all over UP.
In the backdrop of raging feud in SP, the Yatra would be a virtual show of strength by Akhilesh and his aides, several of whom are sacked youth wing leaders.
The Yatra is being managed by his close confidante and member of legislative council (MLC) Sunil Yadav Sajan from the newly inaugurated Janeshwar Mishra Trust, which also functions as the ‘war room’ of Akhilesh for the forthcoming polls.
Ever since, he was replaced by his uncle and now sacked cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav as the party’s UP unit president, Akhilesh has been shying away from visiting the official SP headquarters in Lucknow and instead functions from the Trust premises.
On the inaugural day, the Yatra would traverse from Lucknow to Unnao and Akhilesh would address small public meetings along the route. He is likely to suspend the Yatra and attend the party’s silver jubilee foundation day celebration in Lucknow on November 5 before resuming it.
Over the last almost two months, the embattled SP has witnessed acrimonious public scenes during party meetings in Lucknow, sackings, counter sackings by Akhilesh and Shivpal respectively over greater control in the party and government.
Yesterday, the ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath’ was unveiled before the media at Akhilesh’s official residence. The flag off by Mulayam would be a subtle message to party cadres and people that the party stood united even during time of crisis.
A luxury bus has been customised as ‘Rath’ equipped with a hydraulic platform to enable the CM address public meetings.
The hi-tech bus is hued in red colour of SP and comprises a mini CM office, kitchen and a lavatory for the comfort of the occupant. A life size image of Akhilesh riding a bicycle adorns its exterior along with the facial images of prominent socialist leaders, including Mulayam.
The capital city of Lucknow is adorned with large sized hoardings about the ‘Vikas Rath Yatra’ having Akhilesh’s smiling image. However, the picture of Shivpal is missing from posters, indicating the deep fissure in the party and the Yadav clan. Earlier, Shivpal had said he would attend the Rath Yatra if invited.
