I have Netaji's blessings, will win over 300 seats: Akhilesh

 Dismissing his uncle Shivpal Yadav's threat today to float a new party, Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said he has the blessings of his father and the "entire family is one".

"The entire family is one...I have the blessings of Netaji...we will win over 300 (of the 403) seats in alliance with Congress this time," Akhilesh told a public meeting in Sikandaru for the candidates of the SP-Congress alliance on Sadabad, Sikandarau and Hathras seats.

Earlier in the day Shivpal had said, "I will form a new party after March 11 when results (of UP Assembly elections) are out. You make the government, we will make a new party."

Akhilesh also talked of his party's alliance with the Congress in the rally.

"I had come here in 2012 and today I come again and also brought the election symbol of Congress 'hand' with our own 'bicycle',"

"With hand, the bicycle will run faster," he stressed.Cautioning people against BJP, Akhilesh alleged that it belonged to those who tell "lies".

"The Prime Minister speaks about his 'Mann Ki Baat' on TV but 'man to chanchal hota hai' it keeps changing its stand... people of the country were made to stand in long queues before banks and were subjected to trouble...the jobless were not given jobs and even those working in factories were rendered jobless because of the note ban," he said.

"The Prime Minister of the country said that your 'achchhe din' are coming soon but today people are longing for their old days and asking how can they be restored," he said.
Criticising BSP, he said its leader installed 'elephants' which do no work and have been standing idle.

Akhilesh also cited various development works undertaken by his govenrment in the past five years.

Addressing another public meeting in Aligarh, Akhilesh said the alliance has the potential to change the political discourse of the country.

"With the hand supporting the cycle we are going to win the race," he said at the public meeting at the exhibition grounds.

"We are confronting a party which wants to divide people of India and thus weakens it," he said lashing out at the BJP.

Yadav said, "Demonetisation had not curbed corruption but has crushed the poor".
Referring to Aligarh Muslim University, whose minority institution status is being debated, he said his party was "fully committed to protect the interests of this great educational institution ".