Party workers prepare to welcome Akhilesh Yadav in Kanpur

Vikas Rath Yatra holds significance in the light of events that have transpired within the SP in the past few weeks as the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav

Kanpur, Oct 27: Amid the strife in the party over the leadership tussle, the Samajwadi Party workers have hastened to make preparations for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's arrival here on November 3 for his 'Vikas Rath Yatra'.

"The Chief Minister is likely to spend the night at the circuit house. He might also address the party workers during his Kanpur stay," a party spokesperson said.

"This yatra will be welcomed at different places in the city. Many 'swagat dwar' (welcome doors) will be constructed across the city for this purpose," he added. The district administration has also instructed that the route of the Vikas yatra should be cleared.

The Rath yatra will depart for Kannauj the next day. The yatra holds significance in the light of events that have transpired within the Samajwadi Party fold in the past few weeks as the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav has turned murkier.

The yatra is being seen as an opportunity for Akhilesh to exert his claim as the "undisputed" political heir of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

PTI