 "akhilesh, yadav")
The free smartphone scheme floated by the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) government in Uttar Pradesh would cost the state exchequer over Rs 6,000 crore.
This would be more than double the kitty of Rs 2,800 crore incurred on the free laptop scheme announced by the aspirant SP in run up to the 2012 UP polls. However, the scheme would materialise only if the SP government returns to power.
The free smartphone scheme was announced by UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in 2016, much before the dates for the 2017 state polls were announced by the Election Commission (EC). The scheme is aimed
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