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Journalism of Courage
A day after winning the battle of party’s top post and its symbol–‘bicycle’, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that an alliance with the Congress Party will be declared very soon in Lucknow. As nominations for the first phase of election has begun on Tuesday, Akhilesh said that presently his priority will be the selection of candidates and drafting strategy for election canvassing. On a question about sharing stage with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh said, “abhi intejaar kariye.” Akhilesh also said that his uncle Ramgopal Yadav was working on the alliance.
In an informal conversation with the media persons at his official residence, Akhilesh said that he has major responsibility to ensure that SP comes to power again after the polls. “Today I will spend the entire day finalising candidates,” he said. Several party MLAs and workers had assembled at Akhilesh’s residence and the chief minister all of them.
Akhilesh had released a separate list of 235 candidates last month a few hours after then party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had released a list of candidates in which he had denied ticket to several loyalist of Akhilesh.
Akhilesh also said that following the recent infighting, his election meeting scheduled in Agra on January 19 has been cancelled and due to lack of time, his focus will now be on the election preparations as he would otherwise not be able to campaign in Assembly segments.
Appearing relaxed after the EC order, Akhilesh said that he was sure that he would get the symbol of the party – bicycle. “Relations could not have ended with my father,” Akhilesh said, when asked about Mulayam’s reaction on the judgment. Akhilesh had met Mulayam soon after EC on Monday had ordered that Akhilesh was SP national president and that the official symbol of the party belongs to him.
Akhilesh on Tuesday also said that he never had any dispute with his father Mulayam, and around 90 per cent names in the separate lists–Akhilesh and Mulayam–were common. In a special convention of the party held on January 1, Akhilesh was elected as party national president, replacing Mulayam, who had been ‘elevated’ as ‘margdarshak.’
