SP-Congress alliance will change course of national politics: Akhilesh

Maharajgunj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Feb. 26 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the alliance between the Congress and Samajwadi Party is a tie-up between two youngsters, adding this would change the course of politics both at the national as well as state level. "This is not an alliance between two families, it is an alliance between two youngsters, who would change the course of politics both at the national and state level," Akhilesh said while addressing a rally here ahead of the sixth-phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Akhilesh's statement came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah called the alliance as one between two corrupt families - one from Delhi and the other from Lucknow. Further targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'Diwali, Ramzan bhed-bhav' remark, Akhilesh asked the former to swear to the sacred river Ganga and to clarify whether his constituency Varanasi was getting 24 hours electricity or not. "The amount of electricity supplied during Diwali is more than that given during Ramzan in Uttar Pradesh. Steady supply of electricity was ensured during Christmas as well," he said. Akhilesh also lashed out at the Prime Minister over the demonetisation of high-value currency notes and accused him of creating an emergency with his November 8 decision. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur earlier on February 19, Prime Minister Modi had attacked the Samajwadi Party-led government and said that there should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion and caste. "In a village, if a cemetery can be constructed, so should a cremation ground. If electricity is supplied during Ramzan, so electricity should also be supplied during Diwali as well," he said. The Prime Minister also said the 'exile of development' must end in Uttar Pradesh, while appealing the people to cast their vote for a government which ensures safety in the state. "'Vikas ka vanvaas' in Uttar Pradesh must end now. The country is moving ahead at a fast pace and so must Uttar Pradesh," he said. Elaborate arrangements are being put in place for tomorrow's fifth phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh. 51 constituencies, spread over 11 districts in Terai and eastern part of the state, will go to polls in this phase. The districts are Balrampur, Gonda, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Amethi and Sultanpur. Polling for Alapur assembly seat was postponed till the 9th of next month following the death of a Samajwadi Party candidate. (ANI)