Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav spoke for almost 45 minute, addressing a rally in support of his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav at Jaswantnagar on Monday and without mentioning his son, he stressed that the ‘ownership of the party still rested with him’.
“I still have the khasra (ownership) of Samajwadi Party though the khatauni (tilling agreement) has gone to someone else,” Mulayam said and added that party had not gone old but it is too young. “ Shivpal is closer to the youth than any other leader of the party,” he claimed.
These words elicited a loud scream of approval. The public meeting was held at Hindu College in the heart of Jaswantnagar town on National Highway -2, where Netaji said that the Assembly elections in UP were very crucial for the country.
“I appeal you to support Shivpal so that he can win the seat by record votes,” Mulayam appealed.
Shivpal is a four-time MlA from Jaswantnagar seat and in 2012, had won by a margin of over 1.33 lakh votes. Earlier, this Assembly seat was represented by Mulayam Singh before he shifted to lok Sabha.
However during his 45-minute speech, Mulayam was a bit emotional that he could not become Prime Minister of the country due to opposition by one of his political friend.
“Even after Jyoti Basu took my name for the PM, a friend of mine opposed and I could not become the PM,” he said.
During his address, Mulayam did not seek support for any other SP candidates except Shivpal even though rebel SP candidate Ashish Rajput, contesting on a lok Dal ticket from Etawah City segment, was present at the meeting seeking blessings from the SP patron.
Other rebel SP leaders opposed to Akhilesh Yadav, sitting SP MlA Raghuraj Singh Shakya and Sukhdevi Verma and Ram Sevek Yadav were also present at the meeting.
Shivpal Singh Yadav in his speech cautioned the youth to be prepared for another round of struggle after the elections.
“I am a representative of Netaji and will not leave my brother at any cost. We have to respect Netaji and redeem his lost honour.”
The former UP minister, who was sacked by nephew Akhilesh, said that when he was minister his departments worked efficiently and was among the best in the state.
Demanding that a law be made so that a boy and girl of every family could be given job gurauntee, Shivpal said that more work would be done in future.
Jaswantnagar goes to poll in the third phase of elections on February 19.