UP Assembly election: Grand alliance on cards, Akhilesh expected to make big announcement today

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister may formally announce a Bihar-style grand alliance with Congress and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal today.

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UP Assembly election: Grand alliance on cards, Akhilesh expected to make big announcement today

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may formally announce a Bihar-style grand alliance with Congress and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) today.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister is expected to address media today at 12.30 pm.

HERE ARE THE TOP DEVELOPMENTS:

  1. With nominations already being filed in Uttar Pradesh for first phase of Assembly elections, all eyes are on Akhilesh whether he will accept the list of 38 names Mulayam Singh wants to be accommodated as Samajwadi Party candidates.
  2. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister still has reservation on some of the seats and names suggested by his father Mulayam.
  3. However, before the formal announcement is made, a few sticking points remain on which the two sides are working overtime. While Akhilesh Yadav is ready to leave 85-88 seats for the Congress and has cleared 30 seats for the party that will go to polls in the first two phase of elections, Congress wants to fight on over 100 Assembly seats.
  4. Sources say that there is consensus on Mulayam's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav contesting from Lucknow Cantonment seat.
  5. However, Shivpal's son Aditya Yadav contesting from Jaswant Nagar is still a point of disagreement as Akhilesh camp doesn't see winnability factor in him.
  6. Samajwadi Party MP Beni Prasad's son Rakesh Yadav's name is also in the list for Rampur seat.
  7. Mulayam Singh's younger brother Shivpal's close associates Om Prakash Singh, Shadab Fatima and Narad Rai in Mulayam's list are waiting for Akhilesh's approval.
  8. Congress leader and AICC Uttar Pradesh in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that his party will fight the Assembly elections together with the Samajwadi Party under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav. "Alliance will surely take place between Congress and Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh, no discussion on seat sharing yet," Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
  9. Senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit has also expressed confidence about clinching alliance with Samajwadi Party. Dikshit, who was being projected by Congress as the UP CM candidate, said if the alliance materialises, she would step aside in favour of Akhilesh.
  10. Akhilesh, after clinching the cycle symbol, has described his ties with father Mulayam as "unbreakable". "I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...my relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said.
  11. Uttar Pradesh will vote in seven phases starting February 11.

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