LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party workers in Varanasi marked the 50th birthday of their leader, Akhilesh Yadav, with a unique celebration on Saturday.

Instead of traditional sweets, they opted for a tomato-shaped cake and distributed tomatoes among the people to draw attention to the soaring prices of the essential commodity.One of the party workers who organised the event told PTI that while they usually distribute sweets during such celebrations, the skyrocketing prices have made even sweets unaffordable for many.

With tomatoes priced at Rs 120 per kg, even the humble tomato chutney, a common accompaniment to chapatis in their villages, has become an elusive luxury.

The decision to focus on tomatoes was a deliberate attempt to draw attention to the everyday struggles faced by the people due to inflation."So, we are distributing tomatoes, and also cutting a cake resembling a tomato," he said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati greeted Yadav on his birthday.

"Birthday greetings to the national president of Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav.

May Lord Ram give good health to you," Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi.

Mayawato wished Yadav good health and a long life.

Akhilesh Yadav, a four-time Lok Sabha MP, is currently the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

He was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017, and a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (once) from 2012 to 2018.(With inputs from PTI)