Akhilesh shares stage with Cong in first joint campaign in UP

Sharing the stage with Congress in their first joint campaign, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today hit out at BJP, saying the saffron party will have to do an 'ulta asana' after people will vote against it in large numbers in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Akhilesh, who shared the dais with Congress leader Prem Prakash Agrawal, defended the alliance of the two parties, saying now the 'bicycle' (SP symbol) will run even faster as there is a 'hand' (Congress symbol) to help in the ride.

Samajwadi Party and Congress on Sunday sealed a pre-poll pact to contest the upcoming UP assembly elections, with the two parties declaring that while SP will have the lion's share of 298 of 403 seats, Congress will contest the remaining 105.

"There is an 'ulta asana' in yoga, which is being propagated by BJP, but this time round, people will come out in large numbers to vote against BJP and make the party do 'ulta asana'," Akhilesh said, addressing an election meeting of his party in flood-prone Dhaurehra constituency here.

"See how have these people (BJP) misled us...We have already seen bad days by standing in long queues (because of demonetisation), now tell me where are the achche din," he said.

"We felt the country will make progress but these people pushed it back by bringing demonetisation and statistics prove this...note ban which was brought to check corruption saw corruption also in deposits of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes...

"The entire country stood in queues...it was only the SP government which extended financial help to families of those who lost their lives in queues," he said.

Attacking the BJP government for surgical strikes, he said several jawans were killed on the border later and questioned what help was extended to their families.

"It was the SP government which gave an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to their families...our government helped everyone...I appeal to people that the state elections are also going to decide the direction of the country and all should cast their votes judiciously," he said.

The chief minister was flanked by SP national general secretary Ravi Prakash Verma, party district chief Anurag Patel, Dhaurehra SP candidate Yash Pal Chaudhary and the Congress leader.

"Till now, I was riding 'bicycle' (SP symbol) alone. Now that we have a 'hand' (Congress symbol) to help in the ride, the 'bicycle' will run even faster," he said.

"SP does what it says and there is no difference between its words and deeds," he said, exuding confidence that the party will get thumping majority after its alliance with Congress.

Mocking BJP, Akhilesh said its leaders lack even in common sense that money is not black or white, "rather transactions make currency black or white".

"But the BJP government banned all high denomination currency causing trouble to everyone--traders, farmers, rural women," he said. .