'Cycle' has become representative of power struggle: BJP

Taking a dig at the Samajwadi Party, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on Tuesday alleged the party's symbol 'cycle' has become representative of a power struggle, which is no longer moving towards development.

BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI it is extremely unfortunate that the vehicle of development in Uttar Pradesh has stalled in the last five years.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the symbol of 'cycle' has become the representative of a power struggle within a family. The symbol has itself stopped and is no longer moving and the people of Uttar Pradesh are always looking for development. The Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, for them the fight has been for power but not for development of the people of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Kohli further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been consistently stating that the focus has to be development of Uttar Pradesh.

"How does Uttar Pradesh become a developed state? None of these political parties have anything to do with development or have any concern for the welfare of people of Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Amid a bitter family feud and simmering power tussle, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's mentor and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav will visit the Election Commission's office this afternoon to seek rights to the Samajwadi Party's symbol 'cycle'.

This comes a day after Akhilesh's father and party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav staked claim to the same while asserting that the Samajwadi Party's "election symbol is my signature".

Mulayam yesterday claimed that the symbol - with its easy and established recall - should be considered his political property.

Akhilesh was earlier made the party' national president at a specially convened convention at Lucknow.

Mulayam, who was declared the patron, however, called this convention unconstitutional and nullified its proceedings.