SP Symbol Row: Akhilesh Yadav Gets to Ride 'Cycle', Mulayam Loses out

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's faction has been allotted Samajwadi Party's 'cycle' symbol by the Election Commission which held he enjoyed an "overwhelming majority support" of legislators and party delegates.

The Commission went by past precedents when it had based its judgements on numerical strength as directed by the Supreme Court in a 1972 verdict.

"...A mere look at the figures...will evidently demonstrate that Akhilesh Yadav enjoys overwhelming majority support, both among the legislative and organisational

wing of the party,” PTI quoted the poll panel as saying.Also Read: SP Symbol Row: How Akhilesh Yadav Got the Cycle Symbol

Immediately after the EC decision, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Akhilesh camp said a poll alliance with the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal is a clear possibility though it was for the CM to make an announcement.

"The party president will be deciding it. I hope it will happen," said Ram Gopal. Congress and the Akhilesh-led faction have been busy stitching up a grand secular alliance in the state in an apparent bid to prevent BJP from coming to power in the politically key state.

With this the transfer of power from father to son, though many would believe Mulayam had war-gamed it all from the beginning so that Akhilesh gets complete command of the party.

The verdict comes a day ahead of the start of the filing of nominations in the seven-phased polls in the state beginning on February 1.

"The EC took the right decision as they (Mulayam camp) did not have any supporting documents to claim symbol and party name, " Ram Gopal said.

As news of EC order trickled in, a big crowd of Akhilesh loyalists broke into celebrations outside the 5-Kalidas Marg residence of the chief minister.

"Our prayer has been answered. We will now work with full zeal and vigour to ensure the victory of our Akhilesh bhaiya," said a youth SP leader outside the CM's bungalow.

As soon as he got the news, Akhilesh went to meet his father to seek his blessings.

Congress CM face Sheila Dikshit said she is willing to opt out of the race if her party goes for an alliance with SP in the UP polls.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to congratulate Akhilesh and said 'he deserved it'.

It was learnt that 205 of the 228 SP MLAs and 15 out of 24 MPs supported Akhilesh at the EC.