As it happened: Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘Vikas Rath Yatra’ flagged off in Lucknow

Sunita Aron, Pankaj Jaiswal and M Tariq Khan, Hindustan Times, Lucknow

Updated: Nov 03, 2016 15:14 IST

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Vikas Rath in Lucknow. (HT Photo)

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav flagged off UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s

rath yatra in the presence of state party chief Shivpal Yadav in Lucknow.

Ending days of suspense on whether he will be present or not, the SP patriarch arrived at La Martinere grounds - the flag off venue - soon after Akhilesh reached there. Shivpal also joined them moments later.

Mulayam took a seat on the stage and was flanked by Shivpal on one side and Akhilesh on the other to send a message that the party was united ahead of the upcoming UP Assemly elections barely a few months away.

“Akhilesh ko hum shubhkamna detey hain (I wish him well),” Shivpal said, adding the “vikas sey vijay ki aur yatra” will send a message of unity across the state and halt BJP in its tracks.

Below are the live updates:

3:08pm: Engineers of Bharat Benz the company which made the customised rath have bee trying to repair it for over three hours now but without any success.

2:55pm: Mulayam to decide on “mahagathbandhan” but this is our silver jubilee function and secular forces would be there, says Shivpal Yadav.

2:50pm: They should not have come, says Shivpal on the presence of leaders expelled from the party.

2:48pm: We will begin our concerted poll campaign from this event and defeat BJP , says Shivpal Yadav

2:45pm: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Sharad Yadav, Lalu, Ajit Singh, Akhilesh Yadav, Abhay Chautala, Ram Jethmalani to attend Party’s silver jubilee function on Nov 5, says Shivpal Yadav.

2:00pm: The chief minister’s convoy had only managed to reach Shaheedpath in Lucknow’s outskirts. Officials say he is running at least four hours late of the planned schedule.

1:00pm: I will actively campaign as advised by party, says Dimple Yadav

12:00pm: Akhilesh leaves‘Vikas Rath’ after snag, resumes yatra in a car

11:50am: Vikas Rath breaks down on Lucknow’s Lohia Path. The 25-minute wait lead to a traffic jam.

11:46am: BJP will have to tell people what they have done for the government: Akhilesh

11:40am: Speaking on soldiers, Akhilesh says governments will have to think of the family welfare of those who are sacrificing life for this country. PM celebrated Diwali while a jawan committed suicide.”

We will not allow communal forces to change poll agenda. We need both you energy and experience of old to win the election. We are telling our cadre against communal polarisation: Akhilesh

11:39am: “It’s election time, parties will take out rath yatras. People will assess on the basis of party’s performance and we will emerge winner on the basis of our development works,” says Akhilesh.

As this rath will move , it will unite our party workers as well as netas: Akhilesh

11:37am: “Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) will decide alliances and who gets what. SP will form secular govt,” says Akhilesh.

11:27am: “Response is positive; for the first time we have seen such enthusiasm among the youth. They see a lot of hope in Akhilesh ji,” says Dimple.

Akhilesh said “development is most important as people want that”

11:25am: Akhilesh’s wife and SP MP Dimple Yadav says blessings of elders is important. Akhilesh’s family is travelling with him in the Samajwadi Vikas Rath.

11:20am: Ramgopal Yadav was not present but his son and MP son Akshay Yadav was present.

11:10am: This was for the first time that almost all of Yadav Parivar was seen together. Mulayam, Shivpal, Akhilesh, both daughters-in-law of Mulayam , were on the stage

10:40am: Akhilesh Yadav’s Rath Yatra flagged off, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Ydava launches the yatra

10:32am: A view one of the cabins inside the rath

10:30am: Samajwadi Party will win with a huge margin in the upcoming polls, says Mulayam Singh Yadav

10:25: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav arrives at the stage, praises Indian Army

10:22am: In the coming days, SP will form a majority government, says Akhilesh Yadav

10:20am: I would like to thank all supporters for making this Yatra successful, says Akhilesh Yadav

10:17am: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav speaks at the rally, says SP has connected villages with cities

10:14am: Our aim is that BJP shouldn’t be able to form a government in Uttar Pradesh, says Shivpal Yadav

9:05am: Rajendra Chowdhary and Dharmendra Yadav, party MPs from Budaun, were among the first ones to reach the venue.

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.