'Mission UP' in mind, Akhilesh Yadav embarks on 'cycle yatra'
With an eye on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday embarked on a "cycle yatra" in Lucknow to raise issues like price rise, unemployment, farm laws, and crime rate. The "cycle yatra" at the tehsil level in all districts also marks the birth anniversary of veteran socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra. Here's more.
Purpose is to galvanize SP ahead of upcoming elections: Yadav
The purpose, political observers said, is to galvanize the SP ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, barely a few months away. Before pedaling down the streets of Lucknow, Yadav told media at the party headquarters that UP's BJP government has "failed" in COVID-19 management.
Seeing the anger, we can now win 400 seats: Yadav
"I condole the death of all those who died during the second wave... The government did not help those who lost their family members. It could not arrange oxygen and medicines, and left people to die," Yadav said. He added, "I was saying that we will win 350 seats. But seeing the anger of people, I can say we can now win 400 seats."
BJP has no work culture, could do nothing: Yadav
Attacking the BJP for allegedly inducting criminals, Yadav said as elections are nearing, the saffron party has put its ideology on the back burner. "Party has not read its election manifesto (of 2017). Now it is concentrating on 'money-festo'. The BJP has no work culture and could do nothing in the past over four years except renaming projects of previous SP regime," he charged.
The CM didn't know how to operate a laptop: Yadav
The BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the number one state in terms of the number of malnourished children, custodial deaths, and disposing of bodies in River Ganga, Yadav said. Taking a swipe at Yogi Adityanath, he said that as the chief minister did not know how to operate a laptop, so he did not distribute it to children.
Cycle march in Lucknow will cover distance of 6.5km
The cycle yatra, which will cover a distance of 5-10km in all districts, is in protest against the "anti-people" policies of the ruling BJP, price rise, unemployment, farm laws, rising crime and to demand the release of party leader Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party said. The party said the cycle march in Lucknow will cover a distance of 6.5km.
Cycle is the SP's election symbol
Incidentally, the cycle is the SP's election symbol, and laying of cycling tracks along important thoroughfares, especially in the state capital, with demarcations painted red and green (colors of SP's flag) has often incurred the wrath of its political rivals. The party also plans to take out a Rath Yatra in UP in October, which will cover almost all 75 districts of the state.
