Akhilesh Yadav
In picture: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh YadavTwitter/Akhilesh Yadav

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference on Sunday. The conference will be followed by a joint road-show in Lucknow.

This is the first time the two politicians addressed the media together since signing a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election starting February 11. The Congress is contesting in 105 constituencies while the ruling SP is contesting in 298 seats. The elections will be held over seven phases with the results getting declared on March 11. 

3:11 pm IST:

2:31 pm IST: Ram Mandir issue is sub judice. Whatever the court says, will happen. The BJP always raises this issue before elections, said Rahul Gandhi. 

2:21 pm IST: "Ganga-Yamuna is a thought, where the two meet it is indistinguishable which one is  Ganga and which is Yamuna. That is how our alliance will be," said Rahul Gandhi.

2:20 pm IST: "We knew that Akhilesh's intention was right hence we are supporting him," said Rahul Gandhi.

2:12 pm IST: "How could we include the BSP in seat sharing, they will need a lot of space since their election symbol is an elephant," said Yadav on if BSP would've been part of the alliance.

2:10 pm IST: 

2:06 pm IST: "BJP is instigating one Indian to fight another. Their ideology is dangerous for India, there is no danger from Mayawati's ideology," said Rahul Gandhi. 

2:03 pm IST: "I respect Mayawati ji; BSP made some mistakes when in power but I respect her," said Rahul Gandhi. 

2:01 pm IST: "If we tell you everything right now there will be no masala left," says Yadav on seat sharing in Amethi and Rae Bareli. 

1:54 pm IST: 

1:54 pm IST: 

1:53 pm IST: If cycle and hand work together, imagine what the speed will be, says Yadav. 

1:50 pm IST: 

1:49 pm IST: "I will not be telling you our campaign strategy," says Rahul Gandhi when asked if Sonia Gandhi and Mulayam Singh will campaign.

1:48 pm IST: "We have seen the winter, summers, monsoon, tomorrow's manifesto, but has anyone seen Acche din?" says Yadav. 

1:46 pm IST: "We want to give the youth of UP a new way, a new kind of politics," said Gandhi. 

1:45 pm IST: "We want to stop the spread of anger and lies by BJP-RSS," says Gandhi. 

1:43 pm IST: Rahul Gandhi, when questioned on Congress' slogan '27 saal UP behaal', says that he had earlier said that Akhilesh is a good boy but he was not allowed to work. 

1:41 pm IST: "We want to stop politics of anger hence we have made an alliance to fight together," said Akhilesh Yadav. 

1:40 pm IST: "Since Rahul Gandhi mentioned 3Ps, I'm adding a 4th -- People's alliance," said Yadav.

1:39 pm IST: "This alliance will answer those who made the nation stand in queues," said Akhilesh Yadav.

1:38 pm IST: "Both of us are wheels of progress and betterment," said Yadav.

1:37 pm IST: "The alliance has made the personal and political relationship between Akhilesh and me better," said Rahul Gandhi.

1:36 pm IST: "We were together in the Lok Sabha, we know each other and this is a matter of happiness that we are working together," said Akhilesh Yadav. 

1:34 pm IST: "Like PM Modi says, this is 3 Ps --Progress, prosperity and peace," said Rahul Gandhi. 

1:32 pm IST: "Our partnership is an answer. This is a confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, the Saraswati river of progress will start here," said Rahul Gandhi. 

1:31 pm IST: Rahul Gandhi begins press conference. 

Also Read