Akhilesh Yadav’s Mercedes ‘Chariot’ Develops Snag  

Lucknow: The modern, hi-fi, modified Mercedes bus being used as the 'Rath' (chariot) by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his 'Samajwadi Vikas Yatra' developed a snag soon after he began his road trip on Thursday, forcing him to settle for a bulletproof SUV instead.

Chief Minister Yadav, after some failed attempts by his managers to restart the bus, got down and drove ahead in his SUV. Accompanied by wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, the 43-year-old Chief Minister earlier embarked on his poll campaign after his father and Samajwadi party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav flagged off the yatra on Thursday. The first phase will go till Unnao, covering 75 km.

Akhilesh told reporters accompanying him that he was confident he will beat tradition and create history by returning to power with a thumping mandate in the forthcoming state assembly polls, scheduled for early 2017.

He also claimed to have worked for all sections of the society and said he was pretty confident that despite a delay in his rath yatra, farmers, youth, students and a majority of people will side with his development plank and vote his government back.

IANS