The Akhilesh Yadav faction of the Samajwadi Party seems to be inching closer to sealing a deal with the Congress, even as the Election Commission is yet to decide on the fate of the SP and its symbol, the bicycle.

While speculation about a pre-poll alliance has been in the air for some time now, hoardings of Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, who is Akhilesh’s wife, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have come up in Allahabad — fuelling the speculation. The hoardings with pictures of both women figuring prominently have been put up by Congress workers — Anil Chowdhary and Irshad Ullah.

The slogan in the hoardings says “Mahilaon ka UP mein bajega danka, jab saath aayengi Dimple aur Priyanka” (Women in Uttar Pradesh will be empowered, when Dimple and Priyanka come together).

Irshad Ullah, who is general secretary of the district Congress committee in Allahabad, said party workers want the tie-up to happen at the earliest as this would not only consolidate woman power but also prevent division of the Muslim vote thus stopping the BJP from coming to power.

There are many votaries who favour the Congress and the Akhilesh faction coming together. Sources say chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has propped up his wife to negotiate with Priyanka Gandhi while he is working the wires with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his team.

Congress veterans like Ghulam Nabi Azad, state president Raj Babbar, and the party’s Dalit face P.L. Punia, are opposed to any such ideas as they feel that this could cost Congress further as it will bring the anger of anti-incumbency along.

With both Congress and the Akhilesh faction facing an uncertain future in the forthcoming state assembly polls, it appears to be a necessity.

Propping up of the face of woman power on both sides is likely to play a cementing force, insiders say.

Two senior SP leaders join BJP

Lucknow: In a blow to the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), two of its senior party leaders on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Former Transport Minister in the Akhilesh Yadav-led government and many time legislator Raja Aridaman Singh hitched the bandwagon in presence of the state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The district Cooperative Bank chairperson and declared SP candidate for the Khairagarh assembly seat, Pakshalika Singh, also joined the BJP, expressing his faith in the party’s policies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Welcoming the leaders into the party fold, Maurya said it was good that leaders of other parties were deserting their parties due to their “wrong policies” and migrating to the BJP, which was a nationalistic party with development as its core agenda.

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8.

source: Xinhua