Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed a joint press conference in Lucknow, capital of Uttar pradesh, India on Sunday ahead of the Assembly elections.

This is the first time that the two politicians have come together for an event after the announcement of the alliance for the seven phased polls.

A joint poster with the slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ having the pictures of both Rahul and Akhilesh and their respective party symbols was also released on the occasion. The parties also released the theme song of the alliance during the press conference.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi spoke on the alliance and said, “Uttar is the first word in Uttar Pradesh. The alliance of Congress and Samajwadi Party is an answer. Uttar Pradesh has always given answers.”

Gandhi also termed the coming together of the two parties as coming together of Ganga and Yamuna. “It is the onset of development in the state,” he said.

While agreeing to what Rahul Gandhi said, Akhilesh Yadav said that the partnership of Congress and Samajwadi Party will take Uttar Pradesh to greater heights. He also guaranteed the people that the two parties together will win 305 seats in the state.

Clarifying on Priyanka Gandhi’s role in the alliance, Rahul Gandhi says, “Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me and I have been so to her, if she campaigns or not is her choice; she is an asset to Congress.”

Rahul Gandhi dismisses accusations of the alliance being a marriage of opportunities. “This alliance isn’t opportunistic, it is an alliance of hearts. Will explain to Modi Ji,BJP & RSS that UP and its people are one and we will not let them create divide,” he said.

Brushing aside questions of uncertainty in seats from Amethi and Rae Bareilly, Rahul says that the strategy will be revealed as when the time comes.

Rahul Gandhi calls Akhilesh Yadav a good boy. “I had said earlier that Akhilesh Yadav is a good boy, but he’s not being allowed to work,” Gandhi said on if he still believes in Congress’s earlier slogan “27saal UP behal”

Ram Temple issue is sub-judice. It is BJP’s nature to pick up the issue everytime before the polls: Rahul Gandhi said while slamming the BJP over its manifesto.

Referring to the slogans of Congress and Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Imagine what would happen if ‘kaam bolta hai’ and ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ come together.” He also attacked the BJP government and said that its been over two years but, the ‘Acche Din’ still seem so far.

Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that he and Rahul Gandhi are the two tyres of a cycle. He further said that both the parties, together, will win 305 seats in the state with the love of the people.

Putting all speculations to rest, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party last week on January 22 forged an alliance for the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The Congress, which wanted to contest as many as 121 seats, has reportedly now settled for 105 seats. The development came after Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention ending the prolonged deadlock over entering into an alliance to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the politically crucial state.

The Congress is contesting 105 seats while the ruling Samajwadi Party is contesting 298 seats. Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election. Voting in the state begins on February 11 and concludes on March 8. Counting of votes will be held on March 11.

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