The Uttar Pradesh assembly saw a moment of candid exchange of greetings between chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of opposition, on Monday. The two rivals were seen shaking hands and greeting each other with smiles in a video tweeted by news agency ANI.
The brief bonhomie was witnessed as UP's newly-elected legislators took oath on Monday. "The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members for the 18th Assembly session will start today onwards. I congratulate them and extend my good wishes," Yogi Adityanath was quoted as saying by ANI.
The chief minister's oath ceremony was a massive show of strength for the BJP on Friday where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and other union ministers were present. The next day, he announced his cabinet's first big decision to extend the free ration scheme for around 15 crore people of the state in what was seen as a pro-poor move by the BJP government.
The BJP won UP with a huge majority. Along with its allies, it managed to win 273 of 403 seats. The party has said it has won because of its pro-poor and pro-development agenda.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP won UP with a huge majority. Along with its allies, it managed to win 273 of 403 seats. The party has said it has won because of its pro-poor and pro-development agenda.
{{/usCountry}}Akhilesh Yadav is set to take the opposition's charge in the state assembly after quitting as Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh last week. His Samajwadi Party won 111 seats, and he won his first state assembly election from Karhal in the family stronghold of Mainpuri.
Yadav, a key challenger of the BJP, has been criticising the party over various issues, including jobs for youth, handling of the pandemic, inflation among others.
Yogi and Akhilesh Yadav have been caught in a war of words in the bitter election campaign that the state saw in the last few months.