Akhilesh Yadav's 'Vikas Rath Yatra': Mulayam, Shivpal send Samajwadi Party unity message

Seeking to send a message of unity in the ruling Samajwadi Party which has been battling a bitter power struggle, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday flagged off Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Vikas Rath Yatra in the presence of state SP chief Shivpal Yadav in Lucknow.

03 November 2016

12:30 IST

Netaji Mulayam Singh Yadav will decide on any alliance or any kind of 'Mahagatbandhan', says CM Akhilesh Yadav.

Congress' strategist for Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kishor met Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh at his residence in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Kishor, said to be close to party vice president Rahul Gandhi, is formulating the strategy for Congress in the state. 

11:45 IST

CM Akhilesh Yadav's hi-tech rath breaks down after barely one km journey, work on to repair it.

11:13 IST

Akhilesh expresses confidence in winning over the farmers, youth with his election campaign.

"We aim to meet people at grass-root level, I think that everyone will support us as we have always worked in public domain," the UP CM asserts.

11:05 IST

Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh says 'Vikas Rath Yatra' will be a historic beginning. She exuded confidence in SP winning the 2017 UP elections.

10:50 IST

Mulayam Singh flags off Akhilesh Yadav's Vikas Rath Yatra in presence of Shivpal Yadav.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav advises Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit families of martyrs and said he does not advocate Indo-Pak war but a middle path so that soldiers do not have to make the supreme sacrifice to protect the borders.

"We don't want any Indo-Pak war or soldiers sacrificing lives on border, there should be a via media solution," he says.

10:21 IST

Hitting out at the Modi government over OROP issue, Akhilesh says it's sad that Army veterans are committing suicide.

Targeting the Modi government over the alleged suicide by an ex-serviceman over OROP issue, Akhilesh says the "forces which came to power" (at Centre), have "diverted the path of the country".

"Those sacrificing their lives on borders to save us are also committing suicide. You should think which type of people are ruling us. We have to make SP government in 2017 as only it can bring a change the country," Akhilesh further says.

The UP CM spoke on the various development projects started by his government and said SP works for all sections of the society.

10:18 IST

Akhilesh Yadav begins his speech by thanking party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for attending the function.

10:13 IST

Addressing Samajwadi Party workers, Shivpal Yadav extended his blessing to his nephew Akhilesh for his Vikas Yatra.

He said SP's main aim would be to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017.

Akhilesh ko hum shubhkamna detey hain (I wish Akhilesh well), says Shivpal.

10:08 IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav breathes a sigh of relief after Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav reached the venue of “Vikas Rath Yatra” function in Lucknow on Thursday.

However, many eyebrows were raised as Akhilesh greeted Mulayam with folded hands, but chose to ignore Shivpal Yadav.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav reaches the venue of “Vikas Rath Yatra” function in Lucknow.

Earlier developments

Earlier, utter confusion prevailed in ruling Samajwadi Party camp over presence of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav when Akhilesh embarks on his highly-publicised 'Rath Yatra' today.

Lakhs of youths are expected to participate in the yatra, which will prove to be the turning point of politics. At every halt, Akhilesh will be welcomed by youths, farmers, minority and he will also address the gathering.

The yatra's focus is to establish a new identity of Akhilesh "leadership" and help in ensuriing success for 2017 assembly polls.

All schools in the state capital and Unnao have been shut owing to the "VVIP movement", which is all set to bring the state capital and the Lucknow-Kanpur highway to a grinding halt.

A lot of arrangements have been made by Team Akhilesh for the success of the yatra, in which besides video titled 'Kam Bolta Hai' (Work speaks), showing the CM working tirelessly will also be shown.

Arrangements are being made to ensure huge success of the yatra, amidst family tussle to establish Akhilesh as "indisputed" political heir of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Akhilesh is set to embark on the yatra atop a modified Mercedes bus from Lucknow.

While the red-colour Mercedes bus has the images of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister himself, socialist ideologues Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jnaneshwar Mishra, his uncle Shivpal's picture is seen neither on the vehicle nor elsewhere.

The bus also has pictures of the flagship schemes of the state government -- Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Free Laptop Scheme and 1090 Women helpline.

The 37-foot-long and 15-foot tall bus has all the facilities like Wi-Fi connection, telephone connectivity, a small wash room, a mini-war room and a motorised platform, which will be propelled up by a hydraulic shaft that will bring Akhilesh out of the bus, face to face with the people.

In the first phase, he will venture out from the La Martinere Boys College in Lucknow, and after covering more than 75 km will conclude at the stadium in Shuklaganj, Unnao.

The Chief Minister will end the Vikas Yatra the same evening and return to Lucknow. He will restart his Rath Yatra again on November 7, after attending the silver jubilee gala of the Samajwadi Party on November 5.

The divided Yadav clan

The Yadav family has been a divided house with Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav on one side and Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh on the other.

The supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal factions are keeping an eye on the development and the entire route of yatra is dotted with hoardings, banners and colourful arches to welcome the 'Vikas Sey Vijay Tak' rath yatra starting from here.

A cavalcade of over 5,000 SUVs and trucks will seek to send a message to the party leadership that 43-year-old Akhilesh is the "most acceptable" face of SP.

The pro-CM camp, which has expelled SP leaders, is working overtime to make it one of the biggest political shows of recent times, coming close on the heels of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's month-long Deoria-to-Delhi 'kisan yatra'.

Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for Samajwadi Party's decision to walk out of the alliance in Bihar.

Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing Akhilesh in his fight against Shivpal. Ram Gopal was recently sacked from the party amid escalating tension between the rival camps.

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major worry for the security forces, the pen drive recovered from the blast site in Malappuram, Kerala contains pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers.

The recovery of PM and ministers pictures raises serious questions on the motive of the blast. A low intensity IED went off in a parked car near a court in Kerala on November 01.