AKHILESH YADAV, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and president of the Samajwadi Party, exudes a distinctive calm as we meet him in his party office in Lucknow, which is drowned in the cacophony of leaders and workers. Seated in front of a statue of his father, the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, in an anteroom, Akhilesh goes through sheet after sheet of paper thrust at him, ticking names off for door-to-door campaigning, naming those who need to see him personally and asking questions about others. When a woman worker walks in with her children, he is quick to stand up and suggest that the young ones take a photo with him. He offers us a choice of beverages, makes sure we are comfortable before settling in to give his first print interview this election season. In an unhurried chat, he talks about his daughter joining the campaign trail, the pressure faced by the media, his strident opposition to the BJP and the latest alliance with the Congress. Excerpts:
Q/ You have dubbed the first phase of polling as 'first-day, first-show flop' for the BJP. How do you back it up with facts?
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