Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said he would support his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and campaign for the SP-Congress alliance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Speaking outside Parliament, he said, “There is no bickering. Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister. I will campaign [for the alliance] from tomorrow.”
Despite his brother Shivpal Yadav having announced that he would float a new party after the elections, Mr. Mulayam insisted that “No one is unhappy. He [Shivpal Yadav] has not spoken to me or anyone in the party. He may have spoken out of anger [plans for new party]. Now leave it — there will be no new party.”
Mr. Mulayam’s volte-face comes after his statement on January 29, voicing displeasure over the SP-Congress alliance and saying he will not campaign for it. The SP and the Congress are contesting 298 and 105 seats respectively.
In Parliament, the SP ranks reflected the confusion.
On January 31, when President Pranab Mukherjee addressed both Houses of Parliament at the commencement of the Budget session, Mr. Mulayam was seated far from his cousin and Rajya Sabha member, Ramgopal Yadav, who allied with Mr. Akhilesh to wrest control of the party.
On the day of Budget presentation, only Dimple Yadav, SP MP from Kannuaj and wife of Mr. Akhilesh was present in the House on behalf of the party.
Mr. Mulayam’s nephews, Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, did not attend the proceedings. However, Mr. Dharmendra represented the party at the all-party meeting called by the Speaker before the Budget session.
