A Samajwadi Party worker gestures in front of a banner with the party’s electoral symbol, the bicycle. Credit: Reuters/Jitendra Prakash/Files
Lucknow: In a major boost to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Election Commission today recognised the faction headed by him as the Samajwadi Party and alloted the reserved symbol ‘bicycle’ to it for contesting the coming assembly elections.
The verdict comes a day ahead of the start of the filing of nominations in the seven-phased polls in the state beginning on February 11.
The order, dealing a major blow to Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, came after the EC heard the two sides on Friday.
It also came within a fortnight of Akhilesh being appointed the national president of the party.
“The commission hereby answers the issue by holding that the groups led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol Bicycle for the purposes of the Election symbols (Reservation and allotment) order 1968,” the EC order said.