The stage is set for the showdown within the first family of the Samajwadi party as the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is all set to embark on the day long Vikas Rath Yatra from lucknow to Unnao on November 4. The yatra would be preceded by the silver jubilee foundation day of the party here, at Janeshwar Mishra Park on November 5. To put up a united face of the party before the party and the people Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to flag off the Yatra from here on Thursday.
The Akhilesh Yadav camp in the party is leaving no stone unturned to make the event `historic’. It will be the first occasion for Akhilesh Yadav to demonstrate his strength and the following among the people after the unfinished 50 day long power struggle within the party where several of his supporters were expelled from the party. large number of his supporters from the native place of Etawah are also expected to join the show in lucknow. Abhishek Yadav, cousin of the chief minister and chairman of the Etawah district panchyat is looking after the mobilisation of the people from the district to lucknow on November 3.
The Mercedes Benz truck remodelled as the `Rath’ was showcased by the chief minister himself before the media on Tuesday at his official residence. The Rath yatra by the chief minister was originally scheduled to be flagged off from the state office of the party on October 6, but had to be postponed due to escalation in tension within the first family of the party which later led to the dismissal of Shviapl Yadav from the cabinet and expulsion of Ram Gopal Yadav, the Rajya Sabnha MP and uncle of chief minister from the party.
The life size photos of the Chief Minister and his father, the Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and the pictures of the veteran socialist leaders like Ram Manohar lohia and Janeshwar Mishra adorn the Rath. The photos of state Samawjadi party president and estranged uncle of the chief minister, Shivpal Yadav are conspicuous by their absence. His name and photo is also missing from the posters and the banners put up by the party for the Yatra.
Though Mulayam would be the chief guest of the occasion to flag off the Yatra, state SP president Shivpal Yadav, is likely to stay away from the event. Shvipal Yadav however said ``he would join the event if invited by the chief minister and so far I have received no invitation’’.
The customised chariot, named Samajwadi Vikas Rath by none other than the SP chief himself, is being given the finishing touches after an approval of its interiors by Mr Akhilesh himself.
The yatra will start from la Martiniere College Ground in lucknow on November 3 at 9 am and conclude at Shuklaganj town in neighbouring Unnao district by 4 pm. Its second leg will begin from Kanpur after the party’s silver jubilee function on November 5.
The entire route of the Yatra has been decked up in bridal colours of party colour red and green, with banners, posters and big hoardings, carrying photographs of Mulayam, Akhilesh and his wife Dimple Yadav, adorning the stretch. The Vikas Rath, aiming to highlight the four-and-a-half-year-old developmental-oriented SP government, is fitted with all modern facilities, apart from Wi-Fi internet connectivity and a mini office for the chief minister. The vehicle has been equipped with a hydraulic platform that will rise through the sun roof of the bus, from which Akhilesh will address people.
Apart from huge lED screens fitted on the outside, the rath will have a coat of red and green paint- the party’s colours and huge photographs of senior party leaders, including Mulayam and Akhilesh. The history of taking out rath yatra in SP dates back to 1988-89, when Mulayam undertook the ‘Kranti yatra’ across UP, targeting the Congress. He had used a motorised ‘rath’ that was gifted to him by late deputy prime minister Devi lal.
In 2011, Akhilesh had embarked on a similar journey on board his ‘Kranti Rath’ to travel the length and breadth of the state, addressing hundreds of public meetings over a period of five months and the move eventually catapulted to power for the first time on its own strength as the party won clear majority on the floor of the house with 224 seats. The party hopes to repeat the magic with the Vikas Rath.