The top three of the first family of the Samajwadi party –Mulayam Singh Yadav, his two brothers Ram Gopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav   shared the stage in Shikohabad town of Ferozabad on Friday to celebrate the 72nd birthday of   Ram Gopal Yadav. 

SP president Akhilesh Yadav was not on the scene as he is on vacation along with his family in Europe.  Sikohabad comes under Ferozabad lok Sabha seat represented by Akshay Yadav, son of Ramgopal Yadav. The SP patriarch Mulayam   Singh Yadav   speaking on the occasion described Ram Gopal Yadav as an ‘asset’   and as senior political leader of Uttar Pradesh.

Interestingly it was Ram Gopal Yadav who was instrumental in toppling Mulayam Singh Yadav from the post of the party president and installing his son Akhilesh Yadav as party president on January 1, 2017. The ‘family unity show’ was however marred by   the absence of senior SP leader and party MlA from Sirsaganj Hariom Yadav. He is Rs Samdhi’ of Mulayam Singh Yadav.   He said the show is a waste of people’s money as over three lakh cards were distributed for the birthday programme only few thousand people actually turned up. 

He said the poor turnout in the event shows the Samajwadi party has lost its political ground inFerozabad. The MlA alleged that the show has been organised by Ram Gopal Yadav only for protecting political interests of himself and his son. The MlA also opposed Akshay Yadav MP. He said if he is renominated by the party from Ferozabad lok Sabha seat in 2019 than it would be difficult for the party to save the election deposits.

Ferozabad is a traditional stronghold of the SP and Mulayam Singh Yadav was once elected to UP assembly from Sikohabad seat. Akhilesh Yadav had also represented the Ferozabad lok Sabha seat twice.

Earlier on Thursday, the birthday of Ramgopal Yadav was celebrated in Etawah where a four-tier cake was cut jointly by Ram Gopal Yadav and his disgruntled brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, conveying a message of close bonds between two brothers who parted ways before the 2017 UP Assembly polls. Both Ram Gopal Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav offered cake to one another and embraced to show their love for each other.

later, talking to media, Shivpal said all the differences have been put aside and the entire family is united. “In the coming 2019 lok Sabha polls, we will unitedly fight against the BJP and the party will regain its lost glory,” he claimed. Shivpal, during the past couple of months, has toned down his hostilities against the SP.