Akhilesh Yadav takes Mulayam's blessings, tweets 'cycle chalti jayegi...aage badhti jayegi'

The Election Commission recognised the faction led by Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol.

New Delhi: Elated over being allotted the 'cycle' symbol by the Election Commission, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said he would fight the upcoming Assembly Elections in the name of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The Election Commission today recognised the faction led by Akhilesh Yadav as the Samajwadi Party and allotted it the 'cycle' symbol, dealing a huge blow to Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The decision came less than a month before the staggered Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election starts on February 11.

After the EC gave it order, the Chief Minister immediately headed to the house of his father and party founder Mulayam Singh.

News agency ANI quoted sources as saying that Akhilesh Yadav took his father's blessings.

The UP CM also tweeted his pictures with father Mulayam and wrote: "cycle chalti jayegi...aage badhti jayegi."

Meanwhile, a beaming Ramgopal Yadav, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, urged the people of Uttar Pradesh to vote Akhilesh Yadav back to power in the coming election.

"This is a just decision," he told the media. "The Election Commission will get the blessings of crores of people of Uttar Pradesh."

The decision triggered wild celebrations among Akhilesh supporters in Lucknow.

This is what Akhilesh tweeted:

साइकिल चलती जायेगी...आगे बढ़ती जायेगी... pic.twitter.com/DjFzr2DtrK

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 16, 2017

The Samajwadi Party formally split on January 1 when the Akhilesh faction ousted Mulayam Singh as its President.

Both factions then petitioned the Election Commission to allot it the 'cycle' symbol.

After some two weeks of bitter fighting, the poll panel -- which heard both versions for hours on Friday -- on Monday voted in favour of Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh, who has lost the support of the majority in the party, had been desperate to hold on to the symbol which he picked long ago.