UP elections: Why the 'cycle' is so important for both factions of Samajwadi Party

The Akhilesh faction has already decided that it would choose a motorcycle as its symbol in case it loses the case before the ECI.

New Delhi, Jan 16: The Election Commission of India is likely to deliver its verdict on who gets to keep the Samajwadi Party's symbol. The battle between father Mulayam Singh Yadav and son, Akhilesh for the 'cycle,' which is the SP's symbol reached the ECI last week. The ECI had reserved orders on Friday.

For the SP over the past five years everything revolved round the cycle. Akhilesh has cycled in public several times to promote an eco-friendly transport. Further the state labour department has distributed lakhs of cycle in the past five years. 3,000 kilometres of cycle track too was constructed in the past five years.

All this is a clear indicator as to how important the cycle is to the Samajwadi Party and the faction that gets to keep it is the real winner in this family feud.
As both factions await the verdict of the ECI, there are already talks for an alternate plan. The ECI can decide to freeze the symbol if it wishes. In such an event, both parties would be recognised as state parties and would have to chose a new symbol.

The Akhilesh faction has already decided that it would choose a motorcycle as its symbol in case it loses the case before the ECI. The Mulayam faction is yet to decide on its next move in case the symbol is frozen by the ECI. Mulayam held a series of meetings on Sunday in which he told his supporters not to get perturbed by an unfavourable EC verdict. He told them to go to their constituencies and begin working.

Showing signs of a further divide, Mulayam also expressed reservations over his son talking to the Congress. He feels that a tie up with the Congress would mean injecting life into the grand old party of Indian politics and hence any tie up must be avoided.

OneIndia News