Live Reporting: Mulayam Singh asks UP voters to at least give 50 seats to SP

Live Reporting: Mulayam Singh asks UP voters to at least give 50 seats to SP India TV reporter Gorakhpur (UP): Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today appealed to voters in Uttar Pradesh to give the highest tally of 50 Lok Sabha seats from the state, adding that the Third Front was going to form the government at the Centre. "No government at the Centre can be formed without the support of Samajwadi Party", Mulayam Singh Yadav declared amidst thunderous cheers from the crowd. Yadav said, even if the SP got 50 seats, it will be the highest tally among all states, because the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats, 48, is from Maharashtra.The massive rally was held as a counter to Narendra Modi's rally that was held in Gorakhpur recently. Mulayam Singh Yadav, who reached the venue late, because of bad weather, said, today's rally was several times bigger than that of Modi's rally. The SP supremo lashed out at both Congress and BJP saying that both the parties have colluded not to allow other parties to raise the issues of pricerise.Though organisers claimed that nearly 10 lakh people were expected to attend today's rally, yet the gathering was in the vicinity of 2-3 lakhs. Named Desh Bachao rally, the ruling party had offered roses to weavers in Gorakhpur to attend the rally, coinciding with Valentine's Day celebrations. Weavers in Gorakhpur are demanding regular power supply and cheap cotton for their looms. Following is the live reporting of Samajwadi Party rally in Gorakhpur: 3:58 pm : If anybody has fought the communal forces, it is the Samajwadi Party. Even in Ayodhya, we fought the communal forces.3:57 pm: The challenge is not small. There are 80 seats in UP. If we win 50 seats it will be the biggest tally. Even in Maharashtra, the total number of seats is 48. I thus appeal to the youths, to carry forward our campaign and win us the seats from UP. Our youths were injured and they sacrificed lives to bring SP to power in UP.3:56 pm: For the first time, the opportunity has come for a Third Front. No government can be formed at the Centre without the help of Samajwadi party, declares Mulayam Singh3:54 pm: Our government is giving jobs to unemployed, that's my promise. We will implement our poll promises by all means. That is the identity of Samajwadi Party.3:53 pm: We have waived Rs 1650 crore loan of farmers, stopped auctioning of farmers land for non-payment of loans, made education free, and also made treatment of poor people in hospitals free. Crowd applauds.3:52 pm: Sugarcane famers in UP are facing problems because of Centre's policies of importing wheat and sugar. 3:51 pm: BJP and Congress are not allowing us to debate price rise, atrocities on Muslims in Parliament. There are huge stocks of sugar lying unsold, but the Centre imported sugar from outside. 3:50 pm: India's prosperity has been done by Muslims and farmers, let people go through statistics. BJP looks at Muslims with hatred. Congress and BJP have joined hands in Parliament, alleges Mulayam. Both BJP and Congress have divided the country. 3: 49 pm: BJP is dividing people, dividing the country, dividing in the name of religion. Samajwadi Party wants to give jobs to the youths, look after minorities, specially Muslims, says Mulayam 3:48 pm: Mulayam : "Our rally is several times larger than Modi's rally". Crowd applauds. Sikhs are being thrown out of Gujarat, alleges Mulayam. Land is being snatched from Sikh farmers in Gujarat. 3:45 pm: Mulayam Singh Yadav begins speech. When he names the guests, crowded on the dais, Yadav said, if I take the names of all, I won't be able to fly back in my chopper. We have been allotted 30 minutes each. I apologise for coming late because of bad weather. 1 pm: Thousands of Samajwadi Party supporters cram into the enclosures set up at the rally venue. Local leaders are exhorting partymen to wait for the arrival of UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.