With the dust over seats sharing between Congress and Samajwadi Party yet to settle, the two youth scions – Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav – are ready to stamp their togetherness by holding a joint Press conference and also address a rally after a road show in lucknow, to convince the young voters that ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai.’
Both leaders will officially launch the campaign in the State. The two will share dais space for the first time after Congress and SP reached a pre-poll truck claiming to bag over 300 of the 403 Assembly seats.
Interestingly, the show and the script have been drafted by Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishore aka PK but the responsibility of it’s successful implementation rests on the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Sleuths of Special Protection Group (SPG) have been camping for the last three days lucknow and have inspected the conference venue, road-show route and rally ground to avoid any exigency.
“Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav will address a joint Press conference at a prominent hotel Gomatinagar in lucknow on Sunday afternoon to give out a clear message to their respective party cadres and also the people of a united effort by their parties to defeat communal parties,” disclosed Chairman of UP Congress Committee (UPCC) media cell, Satyadeo Tripathi in lucknow on Saturday.
State Congress president Raj Babbar and MP Pramod Tewari also met other senior leaders to ensure that the workers kept their angst of not beingg able to contest elections aside and make the show a success.
Rahul will accompany Akhilesh during the roadshow in lucknow even as the Congress had so far not been given any seat in the state capital yet. Sources however said that from lucknow East seat, a SP leader might contest on Congress symbol.
Sources confirmed that a joint poster with the slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ with pictures of Rahul and Akhilesh and their respective party symbols will also be released on the occasion.
The ‘tricolour’ and ‘red and green’ colours of the two parties will form the border of the posters. After the media interaction, the leaders will hold a road show through the densely populated areas of lucknow, confirmed the Congress spokesman.
The road show will start from Gandhi statue (GPO) at Hazratganj area and meander its way through Myfair crossing, Novelty crossing, Kaiserbagh, Mahila Degree College in Aminabad, Rakabganj (Nadan Mahal Road), Nakkhas crossing, Akbari Gate, Medical College crossing before concluding at Chowk crossing. The two leaders will address a gathering there. The route has been decided so that it covers areas with Muslim population and youth population.
The two top leaders were previously expected to make a joint announcement on January 22, but later Raj Babbar (Congress) and Naresh Uttam (SP) announced the deal. Insiders said that joint rallies and road show were being planned by the parties at a later stage.
Sources said that CM’s MP wife Dimple Yadav, who is believed to have played a major role in cobbling the alliance, is also likely to remain present besides senior leaders of both the parties.
The SP has spared 105 seats for ally Congress but some seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli, have emerged as contentious and an agreement is yet to be reached.
After the sdeal was sealed, Akhilesh shared the dais with a Congress leader in lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday and the CM was effusive for the partnership terming it as a ‘winning combination’.