Mulayam does u-turn, to campaign for SP-Cong alliance

Speaking to reporters, Yadav also dismissed reports of intra-party differences after his brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been side lined in the party, talked about floating a new outfit post the Assembly polls. “There is no bickering. Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister. I will campaign (for the alliance) from tomorrow,” Yadav told reporters on Parliament premises when asked about his opposition to the alliance and his reluctance to campaign for it. Yadav also played down reports of Shivpal, who was locked in a bitter battle with Akhilesh over control of SP, planning to form new party post assembly polls in the state. “No one is unhappy, he (Shivpal) has not spoken to me or anyone in the party. He may have said out of anger, now leave it, there will be no new party,” he asked. The SP patriarch had on January 29 voiced displeasure over the alliance, and said he would not campaign for it. The Samajwadi Party and Congress have forged a pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh contesting 298 and 105 seats respectively.

Samajwadis know how to ride  bicycle against wind: Akhilesh Akhilesh on Monday retorted to PM Modi’s remark that the UP Chief Minister fears he might be blown off in BJP’s storm, saying the Samajwadis know how to ride a ‘cycle against the wind.’ Yadav, in a series of poll rallies, listed the achievements of his government and said that more development will take place if SP returned to power. Attacking BJP, he said: “This party made people stand in queues outside banks. Many poor people lost their lives but BJP did not come to their rescue. It was the SP govt that announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakhs for the families of such people.