Akhilesh set for ‘Rath Yatra’ in bid to offset clan feud

Akhilesh set for ‘Rath Yatra’ in bid to offset clan feud

PTIUpdated: Thursday, May 30, 2019, 11:38 AM IST
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Lucknow : With Diwali failing to thaw strained ties in the Mulayam clan, a show of strength is on the cards as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav takes out his ‘Rath Yatra’ on November 3, two days before ruling SP’s silver jubilee show organised by his uncle Shivpal Yadav.

Both Akhilesh and state SP chief Shivpal are busy making preparations for their respective events touted as “show of strength” in political circles ahead of the crucial UP Assembly polls just few months away. Akhilesh is giving final touches to his ‘Vikas Sey Vijay Tak’ rath yatra, which will begin from Lucknow on Thursday and pass through Unnao en route to Kanpur. 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.

Akhilesh decided to embark on the yatra solo, saying he could not wait longer for a green signal from his father as his political opponents had already hit the roads to woo the electorate.

The pro-CM camp, including 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’. The second function to mark SP’s silver jubilee will be held on November 5. Though Mulayam Singh Yadav has sent out invitations to all “secular and like-minded” leaders of various parties like RLD, RJD and JD-U, chances of these leaders making it to the event seemed remote due to the date clashes with the ‘Chhath Puja’ festival in Bihar.

Akhilesh, who ruled out parting ways with Samajwadi Party in the wake of the unprecedented family feud, has said he will participate in the silver jubilee event, though a large number of his loyalists are likely to boycott the show in view of the strife in the party.

According to SP sources, supporters of Akhilesh are burning the midnight oil to make the rath yatra a grand success. “It will be a show of strength. We want to show Netaji (Mulayam) that Akhilesh bhaiya is the most popular leader in the party,” said an ardent CM loyalist.           –PTI

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