Rahul Gandhi projected as 'Jai', Akhilesh as 'Veeru' in Congress' new 'Sholay' poster

A day after Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi held a road show in Lucknow to announce their alliance, new posters have come up in Allahabad depicting the camaraderie between the two young generation leaders of the two parties.

New Delhi: A day after Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi held a joint road show in Lucknow to announce their alliance, new posters have come up in Allahabad depicting the camaraderie between the two young generation leaders of the two parties.

Taking cue from the SP-Congress alliance catchphrase “UP likes the combo'', the posters take inspiration from the 70s blockbuster 'Sholay'.

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi, whose party is a a junior partner in the SP-Congress alliance has been projected as 'Jai', the lead character played by Amitabh Bachchan, steering the bike and exposing his hairy chest with a plunging black button-down shirt. 

Akhilesh Yadav - UP's young Chief Minister - has been cast in the role of 'Veeru', played by Dharmendra in the movie, who rides pillion. 

The poster carries smiling pictures of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav's wife, parliamentarian Dimple Yadav.

The poster also includes the lyrics of the famous Sholay song "Yeh dosti, hum nahin todenge" (this friendship will last) and includes the official tagline of the campaign"UP ko yeh saath pasand hai" (UP likes this combo).

However, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was recently locked in a bitter feud with his son for control over the party, is seen nowhere in the poster.

The SP patriarch had recently said that he will not campaign for the election.