Mulayam lonelier

that the coming elections were a challenge for the SP and to ensure that the public did not have any confusion about the party, he and other senior leaders were showing their faith in the leadership of Akhilesh. “Akhilesh is a national leader and people in every state know him,” Nanda said, while adding, “I cannot leave Netaji ... I was with him when he established the party.”

Nanda also accused some people of “conspiring” against the party by confusing Mulayam, and said it was all the more necessary hence to make Akhilesh party president.

Balram Yadav and Durga Prasad Yadav, two ministers from Mulayam’s constituency Azamgarh, also chose to be at Akhilesh’s convention against his orders. Rajya Sabha MP and former treasurer Chandrapal Singh Yadav sat on the dais, while Basic Education Minister Ahmed Hasan, a former police officer who was brought into politics by Mulayam, was present and supported Akhilesh’s elevation.

Veteran SP leader Uday Pratap Singh, who once taught Mulayam in his college days and holds the rank of minister in the Akhilesh government, attended too.

Akhilesh had sacked Balram Yadav from his cabinet when he had talked with the Quami Ekta Dal regarding a merger in June, but he had been reinducted in the government after the SP parliamentary board cancelled the merger. Explaining why the Mulayam loyalist Sunday shared the stage with Akhilesh and Ram Gopal on Sunday, an SP leader said, “Balram’s son Sangram is an MLA from Atraulia in Azamgarh and his future in the party will depend on Akhilesh.” Sangram figures in Akhilesh’s list of candidates for the 2017 elections.

Among the family members present at the convention were Badaun MP Dharmendra Yadav, Ram Gopal’s son and Firozabad MP Akshay Yadav, Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Yadav and Etawah zila panchayat president Anshul Yadav. Women members of the family, including Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav, did not attend.

Shivpal Yadav’s son Aditya joined his father in staying away, and accompanied him to Mulayam’s residence.

Later, even as Mulayam termed the convention “unconstitutional”, there were no vocal opponents of the anointment of Akhilesh as national president.

“In the last few days, everyone has understood who enjoys the support of the public, MLAS and workers. His anointment as national president was long awaited. He has managed to rid the SP of the tag of being associated with goons and mafia. Even if he does not get the bicycle symbol, it will not be a big issue, as he is a symbol by himself now,” said former MLA Braj Mohan Yadav, who attended the convention.

Most of the workers who attended the convention, including Family Welfare Minister Ravidas Mehrotra, also said Akhilesh’s appointment as SP chief had Mulayam’s tacit approval and his opposition was only a show. “Everything happened with the consent of Netaji. He just did not want to get the blame for appointing his son. It is better that this has been done now when Netaji is alive,” said Ashok Yadav, the district secretary of the party’s Gorakhpur unit.

Naresh Agrawal said, “We have accepted Netaji as our margdarshak and we respect him. Public has faith in Akhilesh. Some people have surrounded Netaji and are forcibly getting orders issued, but as Akhileshji has led the government in the state and he will have to appear in the exam of upcoming elections, he should not be pushed back.”

Agrawal’s son Nitin is the SP MLA from Hardoi and he is also a minister in the Akhilesh government.