Mulayam is CM candidate,not me: Akhilesh

Putting an end to speculation about Mulayam’s health,Akhilesh said his father would start his election campaign from next month. “If the elections are declared early,he will start his campaign in December. He will initially address gatherings at the divisional level and as the elections draw closer,he will also visit districts,” said Akhilesh. “If the elections are declared in April,he will start his campaign in February.”

Akhilesh was travelling to Rudauli constituency in his Kranti Rath,which will travel through four districts in its sixth phase starting today.

On youths supporting his rath yatra and party,Akhilesh gave credit to Rahul Gandhi for mobilising the young. “This is because of Rahul Gandhi… he has talked so much about the youth,we are getting the benefit of that,” he told reporters,pointing to the youths following his Kranti Rath to Rudauli,where he was to address a public meeting.

“If the youth is disillusioned with Rahul Gandhi,they will say if he could not (do any good for the youth),how will we (do it),” said Akhilesh. “So Rahul’s lack of work is creating problems for us as well.” Akhilesh also said that the SP is fighting the elections not against the Congress but the BSP. “Ladai Congress se nahi BSP se hai,” he made clear.

Talking about his party’s image,Akhilesh said that if voted back to power,the party will undertake all efforts possible to maintain discipline in the party. “We will form a committee headed by Ram Gopal Yadav to monitor this. We will also use all modern technology so that people can reach us,including call centres,email,Facebook and Twitter.”

According to Akhilesh,technology is an important tool to control corruption and “we will use it in our government for that purpose”.

Shying away from answering whether his party will think about an alliance with any party post election results,Akhilesh maintained that SP will be voted to power by the people in 2012.

On the first day of the sixth phase of his yatra,Akhilesh visited two constituencies in Faizabad today.

On Thursday,the rath will visit Gonda. The four-day yatra will conclude in Balrampur’s Utraula on November 5.

Akhilesh has already travelled through more than 60 Assembly constituencies in 16 districts of the state.