Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav touched the feet of RJD chief Lalu Yadav, veteran SP leader Beni Prasad Verma and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, but when he came across his uncle and SP state president Shivpal Yadav no the podium, he deliberately avoided bowing down. Shvipal too greeted him but the warmth was missing.
The body language of both the uncle and the nephew, at the silver jubilee function of the party being held in Lucknow, conveyed the message that invisible wounds are too deep to get healed so soon. Later, Lalu Yadav made Akhilesh to touch his uncle’s feet.
During his speech, Akhilesh took a swipe at his opponents and gave a strong response to Shivpal, who in his speech earlier, had attacked the chief minister indirectly. On the podium, Akhilesh was presented a sword and the CM used the opportunity deftly. In a veiled attack on Shivpal and his supporters, he said, “On one hand, you give me sword and on the other, you ask me not to use it.” The message from him was loud and clear—if he has the power, he would not mind exercising it.
Speaking on the occasion, Akhilesh said, “ This time, UP polls will determine the direction and condition of the country, and our main aim is to prevent 'communal forces' forming the government.” Addressing a huge gathering, he gave a clarion call to stop the communal forces.
Akhilesh said he was confident that his party would form the government in UP again. “We have taken the light of development to every corner of the state, now the people of the state have to decide and to give a majority to us to form the government. The people of the state will have to carry forward the Ganga of this development.”
He highlighted all the 'development work' done by his government like bringing metro train to the state, distributing laptops, making express ways and giving pension to women. The chief minister attacked the BJP and said, “BJP has not given anything to the people of the state except for the slogan of ideal villages. BJP divides people whereas our party unites them.”
Other leaders including Lalu Yadav, Deve Gowda, Ajit Singh and Ramjeth Malani also addressed the SP workers. Lalu Yadav said that he had been hearing about differences between Akhilesh and Shivpal for quite sometime but nothing of that sort appeared to him, and added that once again people would bring SP back to power in UP.
RLD head Ajit Singh unanimously accepted Mulayam Singh as their leader and emphasized the need of a coalition in the state and the country. Former prime minister Deve Gowda hailed Mulayam Singh and said, “In my tenure as the prime minister and Mulayam’s tenure as the defence minister, borders of the country were extremely safe.”
