After his party tasted victory in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav will get to savour his “favourite sweet” on the day of his swearing in as Chief Minister.
Dasharath Rai one of his friends from Mysore, where Mr. Yadav studied environmental engineering in Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, is in Lucknow on the latter's invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony on March 15. He will present Mr. Yadav with Mysore Pak.
“Akhilesh is fond of Mysore Pak. I have brought this sweet specially for him from Mysore,” Mr. Rai, who along with one of their common friends, Dinesh, a doctor from Bangalore, has reached Lucknow., told The Hindu over phone.
“I had congratulated him over phone from Mysore after his party swept the elections. We met him briefly on Monday. He has promised to meet us again.”
Mr. Rai, who is into agriculture business, said Mr. Yadav's friends were overjoyed with his achievement. Mr. Yadav is described as the man behind the SP's victory in the election.
“Besides me, Dileep Singh, a native of Hospet in Bellary district, Anil Pradhan of Balupet in Hassan district, and Sourav Sharma and Gautham Sharma, both from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, who were Mr. Yadav's friends in Mysore, will be attending the ceremony,” Mr. Rai said.
They are all meeting after several years. His friends from Mysore are planning to felicitate him and present him with a special gift.
Recalling the days spent with Mr. Yadav, who used to stay in a room on Kalidasa Road here, Mr. Rai said: “Akhilesh never displayed his political connection. He was humble and modest, and mingled with everybody.”
He had a special interest in nature. “We often used to go in his Gyspy to Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks,” Mr. Rai recalled. “After becoming an MP, Akhilesh had come to Mysore once to attend the wedding of one of his friend's brother,” he added.
