Akhilesh set to embark on cycle yatra

Apparently overwhelmed by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s forays into UP and the grand old party occupying centre stage in the country-wide protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is all set to hit the streets and embark on a cycle yatra in Uttar Pradesh.

The focus on Uttar Pradesh by Priyanka and her visits to Sonbhadra, Unnao, Bijnor, Meerut and her prolonged stay in Lucknow has left the SP chief with little option but to pull his socks and mobilise his party cadre.

Sources in the SP said that Akhilesh had cancelled his winter vacation with his family in Europe this year. For the last several years, Akhilesh has been visiting Europe twice a year – in December and June-July.

A SP leader said that during the cycle yatra, Akhilesh would visit buildings and projects that were completed during his tenure as chief minister and compare the development work undertaken during his tenure and that of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state.

“The SP chief wants to show a comparative picture of work done during his tenure and that of the Yogi Adityanath government. This will serve dual purpose as he will also meet youth and farmers en route and interact with them on welfare measures started during his tenure,” a SP leader said.

In 2012, Akhilesh had undertaken a cycle yatra, criss-crossing various parts of the state, and had led his party to power with a majority for the first time.

The sources said that preparations were underway to decide the mode and route for the cycle yatra so that the party cadre could be motivated for the next Assembly elections in 2022.

Leader of opposition in UP Assembly, Ram Govind Chaudhary, said the cycle yatra dates would be finalised soon and all party leaders would participate in it.