SP aims at strengthening base in State, says Akhilesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party (SP) is looking at strengthening its base in Karnataka.

“We admit that we have arrived a bit late in Karnataka. But, like any other political party, we require time to build our cadre and base. We intend to increase our presence in the State,” said Yadav who is on a two-day visit to the State

He said that the SP aims to consolidate its voter base, that of farmers and below poverty line (BPL) citizens, and increase its vote share in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Yadav, who arrived here Thursday afternoon, had a small informal meeting with his partymen who waited in queue to welcome their charismatic leader. 

Tourism possibilities

The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FKCCI) put forth a proposal to increase the potential of tourism in Karnataka by having better relations with Uttar Pradesh.

It is learnt that Yadav was keen on having an exclusive dialogue with FKCCI to expand the relations between the two states.

In the evening, Yadav called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to congratulate him on taking over the reins of the State. It is said that the two chief ministers had a brief chat on their Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi’s elevation as the BJP election campaign committee chairman and its possible repercussions, apart from other issues.

The SP leader will address a rally in Channaptna on Friday and later take a nostalgic trip to Mysore, where he did his engineering course.

‘Swalpa, swalpa’

Rusty in his Kannada, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday made a valiant attempt at speaking the language.

Asked whether he was able to recall the language he used to understand during his college days in Mysore, 40-year-old Yadav replied, “swalpa, swalpa.”

He asked reporters to question him in Kannada, providing brief respite from the serious questions posed to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

“Oota aytha. Banni... Oye galate maad beda” said the jovial Uttar Pradesh chief minister, trying to recollect some words which he could speak in Kannada.