Maintaining equidistance from two warring factions of Samajwadi Party, Speaker of UP Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey said that Akhilesh Yadav has a good image while Mulayam Singh Yadav is their leader.
Pandey, a veteran Samajwadi Party leader, skillfully avoided questions about the ongoing war within the SP in which father Mulayam Singh is pitted against his Chief Minister son Akhilesh Yadav.
“I am the Speaker of Assembly and will continue to hold the post till a new incumbent takes over. It is a constitutional post. Please try to understand and do not embroil me in this political controversy,” he told reporters in lucknow on Thursday.
When mediamen continued to hound him, the Speaker said: “I have only this much to say that Akhilesh Yadav has a very good image while Mulayam Singh is our leader.”
Pandey is considered to be close to Mulayam Singh Yadav and had once even tried to intervene in the matter. Though he is one of the legislators who had signed the affidavit in support of Akhilesh, but preferred to stay away from the January 1 national convention where Akhilesh Yadav was elected as national president of the party unanimously.
The Speaker refused to say whether the crisis in Samajwadi Party will blow over or not. “Please spare me,” he said folding his hands.
Pande insteadchose to inform about a three-day Mahila Sansad (Women’s Parliament) to be held in Amravati in Andhra Pradesh where over 400 women legislators and 91 women parliamentarians are expected to participate. “A few women legislators from UP will also attend the function,” he said.