Am sure 'Netaji' will campaign for us; Samajwadi Party will form govt in UP: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday exuded confidence that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav will campaign for the ruling Samajwadi Party during the crucial assembly elections in wake of reports that the SP patriarch is upset with the alliance between SP and Congress.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday exuded confidence that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav will campaign for the ruling Samajwadi Party during the crucial assembly elections in the aftermath of reports that the SP patriarch is upset with the alliance between SP and Congress.

Speaking to NDTV, UP Chief Minister said, ''I am confident that father will campaign for us.''

Asking the electorate ''not to worry'', the young SP chief said, ''Netaji will come around for sure.''

When asked about the necessity to stitch an alliance with Congress, which is not in direct fight in UP, Akhilesh said, ''We could win alone but alliance will firm the verdict.''

The SP national president also rejected allegations of lawlessness and lack of development in Uttar Pradesh and said, ''I have worked on law and order.''

This is incorrect to say that there has been no development in UP. I have worked diligently towards Uttar Pradesh’s progress, he added. 

Akhilesh Yadav also exuded confidence that his party will retain power and form the government in Uttar Pradesh again.

I am confident that we will form government in UP, Akhilesh Yadav said.

The remarks from UP CM came in the wake of reports that the SP founder was upset with the pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

Lending credence to the report, SP veteran had on Sunday said that SP was capable enough to contest and win the upcoming Assembly elections alone in Uttar Pradesh.

"Our party has the capability to contest this election without any support. I am confident that it would have marked victory had it contested alone," he said.

"I am against the alliance formed between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. I will never acknowledge this alliance. The Congress was in power for so long, but it did not do anything for the development of the country. I will not campaign in this election," Mulayam was quoted as saying by by ANI.

"The alliance has squandered the chances of many of our leaders for the next five years by not allotting tickets to them. I will request the party cadres to speak against the alliance and take it to the people," he added. 

On the other hand, walking shoulder to shoulder and almost identically dressed, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister  Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed their first joint press conference on Sunday and held a roadshow in Lucknow, giving a call for crushing BJP's politics of "anger and divisiveness".

Reflecting camaraderie and personal bonding, the scions of Congress and SP showcased themselves as the two wheels of a bicycle.

43-year-old Akhilesh said, "There is not much difference in age between us and today is the beginning." Rahul is 46.

"Rahul and I will take the state ahead on the path of prosperity," he said at the hour-long press conference.

"The alliance is the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna out of which the Saraswati of development will come out... We have similarities and differences too. We want to contest the elections on similarities and will also have to do some compromises...," Rahul said, adding, "It is an alliance of heart, we will win together," as per PTI.

The two young leaders also focussed on the fact they "are friends and not just political allies", and that the two parties "share much of each other's ideologies" and goals.

At one point Rahul even called Akhilesh "a good boy", which the latter took sportingly, with a grin.