Akhilesh sees the local body elections as very important for his Samajwadi Party as the party is contesting the polls without the guidance of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav, who knew the grass roots details. After the humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls, Akhilesh is now trying to test his party's position at grass root level. Significantly, like BJP, Congress and BSP are all contesting the local body elections on their party symbols respectively.

Akhilesh Yadav is meeting party leaders and candidates almost daily and impressing upon them the need to work hard to ensure victory of the party candidates. He feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the main face of BJP in the poll; that is why he is attacking the Modi and Yogi Adityanath government on issues such as demonetisation and GST, beside other important issues like growing unemployment and poor law and order situation in the state.

The Samajwadi Party has prepared a road map for Akhilesh Yadav for his public meetings besides other speakers. Akhilesh has called upon his party workers that they should take up the local bodies elections as the biggest challenge and ensure victory of the party candidates. Emphasising the need for unity in the party, Akhilesh told the party leaders that victory of the party would be a big win for democracy, socialist ideology and the defeat of fascist and communal forces. It would also pave the way for clean politics and set high standards of moral values, he told them. The defeat of divisive forces will also create the conditions favourable to unseating BJP from Centre in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Talking about the achievements of his government before his party workers, Akhilesh said that his government formulated policies that helped realize balanced growth in urban and rural parts of the state. He claimed that his government had not only improved the basic infrastructure in cities but also provided link roads in villages and worked for health education and transport sectors. The government also worked to improve power-water-sewer infrastructure in the state, he claimed.

Akhilesh Yadav also talked about his dream projects Lucknow-Agra expressway and Metro rail but he also informed his party workers about launching of cancer institute Amul milk plant and public utility schemes like Dial 100, 108, 1090 and 102.

Launching attack on BJP Akhilesh Yadav said Yogi government did nothing during last seven months which should be mentioned but they are inaugurating the same projects already been inaugurated by his government previously.

Exuding confidence of victory in local bodies polls Akhilesh Yadav told his party workers that people of state were angry with BJP due to demonetisation and GST.

Akhilesh Yadav is repeatedly complaining that the rural people are very upset as the Yogi Adityanath government has cancelled his various schemes meant for rural UP especially women. Although he said friendship with Congress will continue, his party will contest the polls independently. Observers interpret this to mean that there could be friendly contests between the two parties in the mayor polls. (IPA Service)