Ramendra Singh

In April this year, a month after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath came to power, the government announced a loan waiver scheme for small and marginal farmers.

Soon after Mulayam concluded his press conference, Akhilesh tweeted: “Netaji zindabad Samajwadi Party zindabad.”

Mulayam accused the BJP of failing to meet its election promises and controlling the fuel price rise.

The meeting was not attended by Akhilesh, Ram Gopal and four other SP leaders who are also members of the Trust. A few weeks ago, Mulayam had removed four Akhilesh supporters from the membership of the Trust.

Earlier, The Indian Express, quoting official figures, had reported that UP Police conducted 420 encounters with alleged criminals, killing 15, in less than six months since the Yogi Adityanath government came to power.

The officer said that the National Security Act has been invoked against 54 accused while the properties of 69 gangsters were attached under the UP Gangster and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

Eighty-eight policemen suffered injuries in the encounters between March 20 and September 14, according to the figures. They show that ten of the alleged criminals were killed in just 48 days leading up to September 14.

Among the most prominent are former BSP general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui, former state president Indrajeet Saroj, former MP Ashok Kumar Rawat, MLC Jaiveer Singh and former minister Kamlakant Gautam, besides 32 assembly candidates including 10 former MLAs.

The rally is being seen by rivals as the BSP chief’s attempt to show her party’s association with Ambedkar’s ideology at a time when she is ‘struggling’ to keep her Dalit support base intact.

The national convention next month is likely to see the passage of several political resolutions and could lead to fixing the strategy on forging coalitions with non-BJP parties for the 2019 elections.

Rawat said he will speak to his supporters before taking a decision to join another party. “Now, I am free and cannot stay without a party,” he said. His uncle Rampal Verma is a BJP MLA from Balamau in Hardoi.

On his first visit to Lucknow after being appointed the state unit chief, Pandey also said the party will have “100-per cent success” in the upcoming urban local body elections.

Mayawati's posture on seat-sharing, nearly two years before the Lok Sabha elections are due, is an indication of the hard task before the strategists of the Opposition to manage the egos of leaders like her.

Speaking to mediapersons at her residence in Lucknow, Mayawati said there have been “several rumours” about BSP’s participation in the rally of non-BJP “secular front” organised by Lalu Prasad’s RJD in Patna.

Speaking to mediapersons at her residence in Lucknow, Mayawati said there have been “several rumours” about BSP’s participation in the rally of non-BJP “secular front” organised by Lalu Prasad’s RJD in Patna.

ADG(Law and Order) Anand Kumar told reporters in Lucknow that one or two dacoits are also reported to have been hit in the gunfire in Nihi Chiraiya forest area under Manikpur police station.

General secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani said that for the next six months, until the government brings a law as directed by the Supreme Court, there would not be any Muslim divorces

"I was going to Auriaya to meet my party workers who were subjected to barbaric police action...The state government wants to win the zila panchayat post by misusing official machinery...My workers did not do anything wrong in Auraiya," Akhilesh Yadav said.

The States: 32 lakh hit by floods in Assam, 35 lakh in Bihar