New Delhi: Akhilesh Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh, was on Saturday named the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh by his party's lawmakers. Akhilesh, 38, was nominated to the top post by SP legislators at a meeting in Lucknow. He will be the youngest chief minister of the country's most populous state.
Akhilesh met the Uttar Pradesh Governor later and staked claim to form the government. There were reports of celebrations by Samajwadi Party workers across the state as the news of Akhilesh being chosen as the CM got public. He will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on March 15.
"The swearing-in ceremony will be held on March 15," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. The young leader said tackling law and order situation and fulfilling the SP's promises in its election manifesto will be his top priority.
His name was proposed in a key party meet by senior leader Azam Khan, and was supported by the members of the Samajwadi Party at the legislative board meeting.
As soon as his name was approved, Akhilesh touched the feet of his 73-year-old father Mulayam Singh Yadav to take his blessings.
The name of Akhilesh, a three-time MP from Kannauj, as the chief minister was earlier proposed by his father and three-time CM of UP, Mulayam Singh Yadav, while the young leader had maintained that he wanted his father to head the state.
In his speech, Azam Khan, considered the Muslim face of SP, said Akhilesh was being given a big responsibility and hoped he would discharge it successfully. He rejected Mayawati's claim that Muslims shifted to SP because of the fear of the BJP and said the Muslims were always with the SP from the days of Babri Masjid demolition.
"The party got more votes than it got after Babri mosque demolition", Khan added.
Akhilesh at the age of 38 has become the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. There were strong voices within the party supporting him to be the chief minister.
Though there were oppositions from Mulayam’s brother Shivpal Singh Yadav on the name of Akhilesh as the chief minister, he was later convinced by the former chief minister.
The Congress did not delay in congratulating Akhilesh on the achievement. Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken posted a tweet saying, "All the Best Akhilesh! Prove that the Youth of this country has matured to assume a leadership role.High expectations the only disadvantage."
It must be noted that the credit for the win of the Samajwadi Party and the routing of Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been unanimously given to a rigorous campaign by Akhilesh across the state.
The state has seen several clashes between supporters of the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after election results were declared on March 6. The Samajwadi Party secured a brute majority of 224 seats in the 403-member state assembly ousting Mayawati's BSP government.
Akhilesh, a postgraduate from Sydney, is seen as the modern face of the Samajwadi Party, which used to abhor the use of computers and the English language. Akhilesh, an MP from Kannauj, will have to get elected to the state assembly within six months of his taking over as the state chief minister.
Uttar Pradesh, with a population of around 200 million, is a politically critical state as its sends 80 MPs to the 545-seat Lok Sabha.
(With additional inputs from agencies)
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