Akhilesh Yadav Rath Yatra to roll out today

Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘Vikas Rath Yatra’ set to roll out today from Lucknow

Pankaj Jaiswal and M Tariq Khan, Hindustan Times, Lucknow

Updated: Nov 03, 2016 09:21 IST

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is undertaking a day-long ‘Vikas Yatra’ on November 3, 2016. (HT Photo) 

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is set to embark on a ‘Vikas Rath Yatra’ on Thursday which will be flagged off by Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow.

“Netaji (Mulayam) with other senior party leaders would flag off the ‘rath yatra’,” the chief minister’s close aide, Rajendra Chowdhary, told HT on Wednesday.

According to Chowdhary, over 3,000 vehicles, mostly SUVs, would be part of the entourage.

Party MLC Sunil Yadav Sajan, who is also incharge of first leg of the yatra, told PTI that at every second kilometre, the CM will be welcomed and he will also address gatherings at various locations.

All roads leading to the venue – La Martiniere College ground – have been decorated with banners and were choked with people and vehicles on Thursday morning.

All schools on the yatra route are closed in view of the large turnout expected for the event.

This is Akhilesh’s third ‘yatra’ since 2001-2002 but at that time he had covered the constituencies on a cycle, for which he also holds a record, according to Chowdhary.

Billed as ‘Vikas se Vijay tak’ (from development to victory), the ‘rath yatra’ would start at 9am from La Martiniere College ground for Unnao, which is around 55 kilometres from Lucknow.

Apart from two huge receptions that have been planned in the state capital – one in Gomti Nagar and another one near the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport — the chief minister would address several public meetings along the route.

The ruling party is all set to celebrate its silver jubilee on November 5.

Samajwadi Party supporters on their way to the venue of CM Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘Vikas Rath Yatra’ in Lucknow on Nov. 3, 2016. (HT Photo )

Traffic police have been put on standby to handle the large volumes of traffic on Thursday, as thousands of vehicles are likely to join the yatra.

Moreover, since the yatra is happening amid a power struggle between Mulayam-Shivpal on one side and Akhilesh and the young leaders on the other, a major show of strength is lately on the cards, leading to huge chaos.

“We expect more than 20,000 small and big vehicles to tail the Rath of our dear Bhaiyya ji (as Akhilesh is fondly called by his supporters) and the convoy could be more than 35-km long,” said his enthusiastic supporters.

While the red-colour Mercedes bus has the images of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief minister himself, socialist ideologues Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jnaneshwar Mishra, his uncle Shivpal’s picture is seen neither on the vehicle nor elsewhere.

The bus also has pictures of the flagship schemes of the state government -- Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Free Laptop Scheme and 1090 Women helpline.

The 37-foot-long and 15-foot tall bus has all the facilities like Wi-Fi connection, telephone connectivity, a small wash room, a mini-war room and a motorised platform, which will be propelled up by a hydraulic shaft that will bring Akhilesh out of the bus, face to face with the people.

In the first phase, he will venture out from the La Martinere Boys College in Lucknow, and after covering more than 75 km will conclude at the stadium in Shuklaganj, Unnao.

The Chief Minister will end the Vikas Yatra the same evening and return to Lucknow. He will restart his Rath Yatra again on November 7, after attending the silver jubilee gala of the Samajwadi Party on November 5.