The ruling Samajwadi Party on Sunday released its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and promised a number of freebies if it comes to power.
The manifesto was released by SP National President and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at an event in Lucknow. The event was, however, marked by the absence of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav, with whom Akhilesh was involved in a power tussle.
Speaking at the event, Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he urged voters to again elect him to power in assembly elections.
After promising "achche din" (good days), Modi had ended up giving only a Swatch Bharat campaign and organising yoga, the Samajwadi Party leader said.
"Where are the 'achche din'? Where is the promised 'vikas' development they promised?" he asked, referring to Modi's famous phrases of the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.
"At times they distributed 'jhaadu' (broom), sometimes they organised yoga."
And without taking the name of any rival party, he again alluded to the Bharatiya Janata Party by saying "they are again weaving dreams" and that they might announce sops in the upcoming annual budget.
Akhilesh Yadav, who has ousted his father and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav as the party President, said his Samajwadi Party government had achieved a lot during the five years it was in power.
"We need to do more," he said. "But we have done more than what we promised in our (last) election manifesto."
He did not refer to the infighting in the Samajwadi Party but said he got a chance to become Chief Minister at a young age and "Netaji blessed us".
"All the five years we ruled (Uttar Pradesh), we did not deviate from our socialist ideology," he added to thunderous applause.
"We have done development work all the five years," he said, and listed his achievements in rural electrification, road infrastructure and health care.
Samajwadi Party has sealed an alliance with the Congress and will contest on 298 of 403 seats. The official announcement of the alliance is yet to be made.
