SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Gonda said, "Samajwadi Party's efforts are to connect more & more people with us. I cannot comment (on whether Rita Bahuguna Joshi will join SP) but her son (Mayank Joshi) met with us."
He also took dig over BJP and said, "If BJP is scared of someone, it brings agencies (ED) to defame them (Nawab Malik) &sends them to prison after false trials. We've seen this multiple times, BJP once said it's in danger after a pouch was found in the Assembly, which actually was sawdust."
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh has completed its three phases of elections which the first phase covered, Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Mathura. The second phase covered Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Badaun, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Amroha, Sambhal, and Shahjahanpur. And the third phase covered Hathras, Firozabad, Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, and Mahoba. And the state today holds its fourth phase of elections which covers Lucknow, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Fatehpur, Banda, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, and Hardoi district. However, the remaining phases are going to hold on 27, March 3, and 7.