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According to sources, the BJP is ready to deny Mayank a ticket from Lucknow Cant., and that Mayank is likely to be presented as an SP candidate from the same seat. The BJP has still not declared its candidates out of the 9 Lucknow assembly constituencies. The SP is also waiting for the BJP to declare candidates, before the party pursues its list, sources said.

The Electoral Commission has banned all exit polls regarding the upcoming Assembly elections from 7:00 a.m. on February 10 to 6:30 p.m. on March 7. In a statement released here on Saturday, UP Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said the conduct of exit polls, publication in print or electronic media or advertising thereof has been banned from the February 10 at 7 a.m. to March 7 at 6:30 p.m. Anyone who violates the order will be punished with a two-year prison term or a fine or both.

The Uttar Pradesh elections will not yield a surprise result, the real surprise would come in the Gujarat assembly polls scheduled for later this year, Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday, confident in the formation of the government after the votes of the UP assembly. Making a host of sounding promises, he said his alliance government would open ‘Samajwadi canteens’ for the poor to get subsidized meals for 10 rupees.

Likewise, “ration points” would be created for the poor and the working class, he said. The SP supremo claimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh had already given their verdict and the BJP was “nervous” about it. “A losing wrestler sometimes bites or shoots. These people (BJP) have already lost. This time the BJP is deeply shaken, that’s why they have to carry out door-to-door campaigns,” Yadav said in a press conference with Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhry after taking the ‘ann sankalp’ to defeat the BJP. .

He said the BJP government claimed to provide a subsidized ration to 80 million poor people in the country and that was their admission of India’s growing poverty as confirmed by surveys around the world. “In the event of the formation of the SP-led alliance government, ‘Samajwadi canteens’ and ‘ration points’ would be opened for the poor and workers. He said that from these outlets, subsidized rations and other essential items would be made available to the poor, homeless and working people.

“In the canteens of Samajwadi, a thali (meal) containing nutrients would be made available at a subsidized rate of Rs 10,” he said, adding that the aim behind it would be to eradicate hunger in the state. He said it would be part of their election manifesto. He claimed that voters will teach a lesson to those who honor Mahatma Gandhi’s killers and that UP election results will bring happiness to the state.

“The people of Uttar Pradesh have given their verdict. No surprises are going to come here. Farmers, young traders, people from all sections have decided that the government will be formed by those of the Samajwadi party alliance” “The real surprise will come from Gujarat where elections are to be held after Uttar Pradesh,” said party leader Samajwadi.

Yadav made the claim during a press conference at Vedanta Farm House. He was visiting Ghaziabad with his party’s polling partner Rashtriya Lok Dal supremo Jayant Chaudhary to support their party’s candidates.

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