Akhilesh casts vote, ducks questions on Mulayam-Shivpal

Saifai (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 19 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav here on Sunday cast his vote in the third phase of the state assembly election.

Accompanied by cousin and Budayun MP Dharmendra Yadav, the Chief Minister, at the Abhinav Vidyalaya polling booth in his native village of Etawah, told the media that he voted for the Samajwadi Party so that development could further be expedited in the state.

Sporting the red-colour party cap, the SP national president however looked a little shaky and snapped back at certain journalists who asked some uncomfortable questions.

When asked why he has declared his vote, Yadav said because "you were asking".

He also got angry when the mediapersons asked about his father Mulayam Singh Yadav not accompanying him for vote, like he always does.

Ducking the question, he expressed hope that the people of the state will vote in large numbers in the favour of the SP-Congress alliance.

Replying to a question whether he would like to wish his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is contesting from Jaswantnagar, the Chief Minister wished that all SP candidates won the polls.

On the question why Mulayam Singh, whom he ousted as the National President of the party in January, did not turn up for joint rallies with him, Akhilesh Yadav said he probably wanted to cover other areas.

Amid reports of a not good faring in the erstwhile strongholds, the Chief Minister also ruled out "bheetarghat" against the ruling party candidates.