'Hand' to steer 'Cycle' and defeat BJP in UP: Akhilesh, Rahul

Walking shoulder to shoulder and almost identically dressed, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi today addressed their first joint press conference and held a roadshow here, giving a call for crushing BJP's politics of "anger and divisiveness".
Reflecting camaraderie and personal bonding, the scions of Congress and Samajwadi Party showcased themselves as the two wheels of a bicycle.
43-year-old Akhilesh said, "There is not much difference in age between us and today is the beginning." Rahul is 46.
"Rahul and I will take the state ahead on the path of prosperity," he said at the hour-long press conference.
The Congress leader said partnership between Congress and SP was the "uttar" (answer) to BJP's politics of anger and divisiveness.

"The alliance is the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna out of which the Saraswati of development will come out...We have similarities and differences too. We want to contest the elections on similarities and will also have to do some compromises...," Rahul said.

"Yeh dil ka alliance hai, mil ke jeetenge (It is an alliance of heart, we will win together)," the Congress leader said.
During the hour-long press conference, the two leaders repeatedly invoked imagery of rivers coming together and Congress' election symbol 'hand' pushing Samajwadi Party's 'bicycle' towards progress and development.
Rahul said the alliance was for three Ps - progress, prosperity and peace - to which the SP president added another P - people.

Days after stitching an electoral alliance for the high stakes assembly polls, Rahul arrived here on a special plane from Delhi for the maiden outing of the two leaders since the pact was announced for the polls, which start from February 11.
Out of the 403 assembly seats, SP would be contesting 298 and Congress the rest 105.
Responding to a question on Ram Temple, Rahul said since
the matter was sub-judice, he would not comment.
He said BJP rakes up the issue during every election.
Rahul's reply came to a question on BJP's manifesto which says efforts would be made to get Ram temple built in Ayodhya within the ambit of law.

When asked whether Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Dimple Yadav, the wife of Akhilesh, will campaign for the alliance, Rahul said, "Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me. She is an asset to the Congress...She has been instrumental in major party decisions. Whether she campaigns or not, it's her choice."
"Dimple is an MP, she will decide what she has to do," Akhilesh remarked.
Rahul appeared soft on Bahujan Samaj Party stating that his respect for Mayawati at personal level is "intact".
"BSP government might have committed mistakes. I personally respect Mayawatiji. I respect Kanshi Ram also and there can be no comparison between Mayawati and BJP," he said.

The Congress vice president was replying to a question about the possibility of an alliance with BSP in the future.
"BSP ran government and had committed mistakes but the respect is intact...There is a lot of difference between BJP and BSP. BJP's ideology is harmful to the country but Mayawati's ideology is not. Do not compare Mayawatiji with RSS," he said.
When asked if BSP could also be taken along in the alliance against BJP, Akhilesh said in a lighter vein that, Mayawati, whose party's symbol is elephant, will "require a lot of space".
When Akhilesh was reminded that he used to refer to Mayawati as "buaji" (aunt), the SP leader said, "Now I am not saying that any longer. You have not heard it from me now."

Replying to a question on Congress' earlier foray with BSP in the 1996 assembly polls after which the number of its seats decreased, Gandhi said, "History is not static and keeps changing .... Alliance in 1996 with BSP was wrong and so it will be wrong this (alliance with SP) time too... Situation is different now and it (SP-Congress alliance) is right strategically for the state, the country as well as for Samajwadis."
Rahul, who took most of the questions, said, "Alliance for Lok Sabha polls is open for discussion."
He was asked as to whether he will be the PM face in 2019 elections as Akhilesh is the CM face in 2017 polls.

When Akhilesh was asked if he will be projecting Rahul as Prime Minister in 2019 polls as he has accepted to contest on his face as Chief Minister, he said, "Why are you in so hurry...