Mathura (UP), Oct 12 (PTI) Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) national president Shivpal Yadav kickstarted his campaign for the upcoming assembly polls with a 'rath yatra' in Vrindavan here on Tuesday.

Titled as 'Samajik Parivartan Rath Yatra', the campaign has been started to change the present "anti-people government" in the state, Yadav said at the launch.

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Interestingly, Congress leader and spiritual guru Acharya Pramod Krishnam was also present at the launch.

When asked if he had come with any message from Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said, "I have come here to bless and wish Shivpal Singh Yadav for the yatra since he has been coming to my ashram for long," he added.

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He took a swipe at Akhilesh Yadav and BSP president Mayawati, saying they were not connected with people while hailing Shivpal Yadav as "jameeni neta" (grounded leader).

Shivpal Yadav paid his obeisance to the principal deity of Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan to seek blessings for the success of the yatra.

“The yatra has been taken out from Vrindavan after taking divine blessings of Bankey Bihariji," the former UP minister said.

Yadav's rath showcased photographs of Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Manohar Lohia besides that of B R Ambedkar and Chaudhary Charan Singh.

He appealed all like-minded and secular parties to associate with him in throwing out the present government in UP out of power.

Owing to the "defective" policies of the Union and state governments, every section of society, including farmers, youth, labourers are fed up with the dispensation, Yadav said.

The government has not bothered about farmers who have been sitting on dharna for over 10 months in protest against the farm laws, he said, adding that over 500 farmers have lost their lives till now.

He also criticised the government for price rise and pointed out that the rate of LPG cylinders has almost doubled in recent past.

Amid beating of drums and sounds of conch shells, Krishnam presented a 'gada' (a mace carried by Lord Hanuman) to Yadav for the success of his yatra.

On the same day, Yadav's nephew and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also began his campaign with the "Samajwadi Vijay Rath Yatra" from Kanpur that is expected to cover all 403 constituencies in the state. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)