Akhilesh meets MSY amid hints of thaw in ties
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday called on his father and party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to seek his blessings on being re-elected as the party president for five years.
The senior Yadav congratulated Akhilesh and asked him to consolidate the party. The meeting comes amid indications that the Yadav family feud is showing signs of a thaw.
Akhilesh, who returned to Lucknow on Saturday after the national convention in Agra, spent an hour at Mulayam’s residence and briefed him about the proceedings of the convention.
After the meeting, Akhilesh also tweeted a picture with Mulayam. “Be it Akhilesh, Azam Khan, Ramgopal or Naresh Agarwal – all of them had hit out at Shivpal in the SP’s state convention in Lucknow on September 23. However, none of the speakers attacked Shivpal at the three-day Agra meet that began on October 5,” a senior SP leader said.
“Mulayam had said that Akhilesh did not invite him or Shivpal for the party’s state meet. After this, Akhilesh invited Mulayam to the national convention in Agra,” he said.
Although Mulayam did not attend the convention, he gave Akhilesh his blessings over the phone. Shivpal also extended his wishes over the phone and also posted a tweet minutes after Akhliesh’s re-election.
“Mulayam, who was likely to float a new outfit at a press conference after the state convention, took a U-turn just in the nick of time,” the leader said.
Sources in the SP said Mulayam, who had been repeatedly saying that the party should be strengthened, might make a significant announcement soon. Akhilesh, who has been authorised by the national convention to execute changes in the party, on his part might also announce an honourable place for Shivpal in the party, sources added.