India Today Conclave 2019: UP likes both cycle and elephant, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday clarified that his party's alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was not purely conceived with an anti-Modi sentiment.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019, Akhilesh Yadav said the people of Uttar Pradesh are fond of both cycle and elephant. "UP likes both SP's logo cycle and BSP's symbol elephant," the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh said.

Akhilesh Yadav has teamed up with once-arch-rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati to checkmate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Commenting on Mulayam Singh offering support to PM Modi, Akhilesh said that netaji gave his blessings to Manmohan Singh also, but he did not become the PM again.

"I hope Narendra Modi returns as Prime Minister," Mulayam Singh Yadav had said on the last day of Parliament's Budget Session. "He has done good work and nobody can raise a finger against him."

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The statement by Mulayam Singh is being seen as a setback to Akhilesh Yadav, who has projected his party as a major force behind the mahagathbandhan, which comprises the parties like TMC, TDP, RJD, CPI (M).

On mahagathbandan, Akhilesh Yadav said BSP, Congress and other regional parties are with us.

Lashing out at PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, SP chief said both of them have ruined livelihood for farmers in the state. Villages in Uttar Pradesh were empowered when my government was in power, Akhilesh said while criticising the BJP ruled government in the state.

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Edited by Chitranjan Kumar