Faisal Fareed
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Sep 1: After 24 years, the wheels of the mini bus modfied as Kranti Rath of Samajwadi Party (SP) will again roll on September 12. The aim will be same to form government however this time the man in the journey will be different.

Akhilesh Yadav will hit the roads of UP on the Kranti Rath on similar lines as his father travelled the length and breadth of the state on same vehicle in 1987.

Stepping into the shoes of his father Akhilesh is busy personally supervising the modifications being done in the vehicle parked at his residence at Vikramaditya Marg. It was on 14 September 1987 when Mulayam Singh had journeyed in the Kranti Rath finishing his one month tour on 15 October 1987 with a rally at Lucknow. It was after the Yadav supremo had hit the dusty terrains of the state that he was rewarded with chief ministership of the state in form of Janta Dal (JD) government in 1989. The Kranti Rath  is a modified Mini Bus with modern amenities as retiring room, toilet, lift, mike for addressing the meeting and an internet connection along
with TV.

With elections round the corner, Akhilesh too wants to repeat the same experiment. This will be the first assembly elections after he assumed the post of state presidentship of the party. "The journey is aimed at highlighting the misdeeds of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government. It can be regarded as the begining of election campaign for the party," said state spokesperson, Rajendra Choudhary.

The route chart of the Kranti Rath has been designed specifically so that it passes through maximum areas dominated by minority community. The party hopes to reach out to the minority community which has been loyal to Mulayam in the past. In the first lap, the Kranti Rath will touch the Sarojini Nagar, Banthra, Sohramau, Nawabganj, Ajgain, Unnao, Safipur, Hafizabad Crossing, Bangarmau, Miyaganj, Hasanganj and Mohan before returning to Lucknow on September 14. The next phase will begin from September 19 where the vehicle will reach out to Bundelkhand area.

Message has been disseminated among the SP cadres to publicise the tour programme and accompany it with cycle yatras.

"The journey will further expose the  BSP government and its countdown will begin once the Kranti Rath returns to Lucknow," remarked a hopeful Choudhary.