Akhilesh Yadav emerged triumphant on Sunday when his party workers and other close aides showed support to him and anointed him party ‘National Head’. After UP CM, Akhilesh Yadav sacked uncle Shivpal Yadav and bumped up Mulayam as SP ‘Margdarshak’, a clearer picture emerged from the fact that the duo were not able to do anything to revoke the decisions that were announced by Ramgopal Yadav at the party convention in Lucknow. Seeing the writing on the wall, relatives friends, colelagues and supporters are gravitating towards the Akhilesh camp, leaving Mulayam virtually alone. Rumours of Mulayam’s ‘ilness’ add to the feeling that his days in politics are numbered. A closer look at the picture reveals who is supporting whom and the reasons behind it. Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the party and the one who built the party brick by brick has been virtually sidelined by ministers, family members and aides.
Party co-founder, Reoti Raman Singh, Vice President Kiranmay Nanda, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwal and other ministers along with family members shared the dais on which Akhilesh Yadav was announced as the leader of the party by Ram Gopal Yadav. Where on one hand, the party members celebrated the unanimous selection of their head Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh only saw a meager number of supporters visiting him on Sunday. Besides associates of Shivpal Yadav and Shivpal himself, the ones who visited Mulayam Singh were ministers Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, close associate of Mulayam’s younger son, Prateek, Rajya Sabha MP Beni Prasad Verma and MLC Ashu Malik.
Indian Express reports that even those who were brought in the party by Mulayam Singh, chose to side with Akhilesh Yadav – the foremost name in this exodus is Nanda. Nanda cited the upcoming election season as his reason for siding with Akhilesh Yadav. But Nanda also hurried to say that he can’t leave Netaji as he was with him when the party was established. The list also includes Balram Yadav and Durga Prasad Yadav, ministers from Azamgarh, Basic Education Minister Ahmed Hasan. The meeting was also attended by veteran SP leader, Uday Pratap Singh who reportedly once taught Mulayam Singh during his college days!