Janjivan Bureau

New Delhi/Lucknow :

The Congress Party on Tuesday said that they will not back off from forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party(SP) if it reaps benefit for the people of Uttar Pradesh.

“We are ready to fight on 403 seats but if anything comes forth in benefit for the people of Uttar Pradesh then we are not going to back off,” said Congress leader Meem Afzal.

Afzal claimed that whole Samajwadi Party has sided with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with thumbing majority.

“The Samajwadi tussle has been decided finally and whole party has been given to Akhilesh Yadav. All MLAs and MPs are with him in thumbing majority. What relationship he is going to share with Mulayam Singh ji will be decided in future,” he added.

Brimmed with confidence ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls after the Election Commission yesterday entitled the Akhilesh Yadav camp the Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ symbol, Ram Gopal Yadav, who is the close aide of the Chief Minister, hinted a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

“We are fully prepared for the elections. It has been mentioned before by Akhilesh himself, but I haven’t spoken to the national president but all options are open,” Ramgopal told when asked about a possible alliance with the Congress.

Meanwhile, in a major boost, the faction led Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party was allotted the ‘bicycle’ symbol on Monday.

“The Commission hereby announces that the group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol ‘Bicycle’ for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968,” the order read.

Earlier, Ram Gopal submitted a dossier containing signed affidavits of support for the Akhilesh faction from party delegates, MPs, MLAs and MLCs to the Election Commission. The Akhilesh camp urged the poll body to decide on the matter at the earliest.

Nominations for the first phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh start in few days, but the Samajwadi Party is yet to finalise candidates.

Elections will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh starting February 11, and nominations for the first phase begin on January 17. Votes will be counted on March 11.

In a major setback to Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Election Commission of India this evening recognised son Akhilesh Yadav’s appointment as the party’s national president, allotting him the “bicycle” symbol.

Ending days of suspense, the EC virtually legitimised all decisions taken at the emergency national convention of the party on January 1 where the elected representatives unanimously elevated Akhilesh as the national president in place of Mulayam.

The EC applied the test of “majority support” principle as approved by the Supreme Court in the cause célèbre case of “Sadiq Ali and Others versus Election Commission of India and Others” (1972) to adjudicate the competing claim to the bicycle symbol.

In its 42-page order, the poll panel observed that as per the documents provided by both sides, Akhilesh enjoyed “overwhelming majority support”, both among the legislative and organisational wing of the party.

“…the group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol ‘bicycle’ for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968,” the panel observed. The decision comes just a day before filing of nomination papers for the first phase of the seven-phase UP election.

In Lucknow, Akhilesh struck a conciliatory note saying the Assembly elections would be fought under the guidance of “netaji” (Mulayam). The CM, who visited Mulayam’s residence soon after the EC decision, said the next government would be formed under “netaji’s” supervision.

The news triggered celebrations outside Akhilesh’s official residence. Earlier in the day, a nameplate announcing Akhilesh as the national president had appeared at the SP state office.

Mulayam is likely to be the patron of the party, unless he decides to go ahead with “Plan B” of contesting on Lok Dal’s symbol of “farmer ploughing field” against his son.

Speaking to party members, Mulayam earlier said he was ready to contest against his son if required. Despondency was evident in the Mulayam camp during the day as aide Amar Singh decided to leave for London for treatment, saying he would return only by March-end.

The future of Akhilesh’s uncle and dislodged state president Shivpal Singh Yadav remains unclear.

Sources say the first list of SP candidates and the party manifesto would be released in a day or two.