Akhilesh praises Rahul, sets off speculation of tie up

Gandhi scion has been aggressively slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government ever since he embarked on his 2,500 km long ‘Kisan Mahayatra’ in the state. Interestingly, though the Amethi MP has been attacking Prime Minister Modi and central government, he has taken just veiled potshots at the state’s ruling regime - Samajhwadi Party and Chief Minister Yadav.  

This has set the political corridors buzzing with speculations of a political realignment in the state.Though Yadav avoided the question related to the possibility of an alliance between Congress and his party, but he added, “Rahulji bahut acche insan hain, bahut acche ladke hain. UP me jyada rahenge to hamari bhi dosti unse hogi...do acche log mil jaye to kya kharab baat hai? (Rahul is a good human being and a good boy. If he spends more time in UP, we can also have friendship with him...If two good human beings meet, what’s wrong in that),” he said.

UP Chief Minister was talking to media after a Cabinet meeting in Lucknow. The 46-year-old Gandhi started his month long UP poll campaign from Deoria and on Thursday carried out a road show in Basti, apart from meeting the family members of freedom fighter Ram Ratan Pathak.  He even visited Shaheed Smarak, Chhawni in Basti. 

The Congress Vice President’s convoy consisting of bus, cars, trucks and bikes will enter Ayodhya on Friday. Gandhi will visit the famous Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya. His visit has a huge significance as no member from Gandhi family has visited Ayodhya in last 26 years. After that he will do a 4.2 km long road show, door-to-door campaign to collect Kisan Maangpatras and public meetings.  Meanwhile, criss crossing through the roads of Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi slammed Modi government for hiking the fare of Premium Trains up to 50%.  The Amethi MP on Thursday tweeted, 

“The speed of the train may increase or not, but Modiji has put the fares on the fast track. Modiji’s model of loot from the common people and provide relief to some of his industrialist friends.”

Jumping onto the bandwagon,BJP also alleged that “one futile ‘yuvraj’ is shielding another” and also accused Akhilesh him of trying to divert attention from the state’s issues. 

“In UP, people had elected Akhilesh with high hopes after suffering under the misrule of Mayawati. Now they have been hit by poor law and order and corruption. Education and health facilities are non-existent and the common man lives in fear,” BJP’s National Secretary Shrikant Sharma mentioned in a statement.