In a bid to douse the flames of family feud that threatened to engulf the Samajwadi Party ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, senior members of the Mulayam clan are trying to bury their differences. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s brother Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday said everything is hunky-dory within the parivar and the party.
Shivpal, who is considered the second-most powerful SP leader in the State Government, had threatened to resign from the Cabinet and join the Opposition ranks over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
“I have no differences with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Hum mann ki baat nahi karte hain, mann ki baat to Modiji karte hain. Hum dil ki baat karte hain,” said Shivpal Yadav in an attempt to project that everything is fine in UP.
“There was no question of any dispute with Akhilesh Yadav as I have been speaking against the involvement of the party leaders in all kinds of illegal activities, including land grabbing. Very soon the State Government will launch a campaign against encroachments in the State and all those who are found to be involved in illegal activities will be brought to justice,” said Shivpal.
Talking to reporters in Etah on Tuesday, a day after Mulayam said the SP will split if Shivpal quits, the latter said that whatever Mulayam desires or indicates is an order for him. He also said that the decision on the merger with the Quami Ekta Dal would be taken by the party president.
Shivpal also praised the Chief Minister saying that the Government was doing good work and the people by and large were satisfied with the performance of the State Government. Shivpal Yadav was in Etah to attend a programme to distribute Kanya Vidya Dhan to schoolgirls.
Even though Shivpal tried to defuse the crisis by claiming that there was no dispute within the first family.
SP sources said the dispute is likely to grow further as the top leadership of the party has decided in favour of the merger with the Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal (QED).
On the QED issue Shivpal Yadav said, "Whatever Netaji decided would be acceptable to him and the party''.
Akhilesh, however, refused to comment on the QED merger issue saying "ask Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav)". Following opposition by Akhilesh , the Samajwadi Party had scrapped the decision of merger of the QED with itself in June last. Akhilesh had sacked senior Minister Balram Yadav on the day SP-QED merger was announced by Shvipal Yadav. Balram Yadav had played a key role in negotiating the deal.