In Continuing Sulk, Mulayam Singh Ignores Invite And Envoy From Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow:

Having been politely but effectively swotted aside by his son, Mulayam Singh this morning refused to join top leaders on stage as the Samajwadi Party disclosed its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh election, which begins next month.

On January 16, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav defeated Mulayam Singh's claim of controlling the party. The Election Commission ruled that it is the 43-year-old and not his father who is accepted as the leader of the Samajwadi Party and if both men fight the elections separately, it is the Chief Minister who can use the party name and symbol.

That verdict forced into recess a family feud that had gripped the Samajwadi Party at a time when it should have been preoccupied with its external and not internal hunt for power.

Mulayam Singh has now settled into a grudging but so far silent sulk as evidenced by his no-show at this morning's event. He has not appeared publicly with his son at all since being subjugated. An admission of defeat reflected in the name plate that declared him as the party president being replaced this weekend with a more modest title of "mentor."

Also missing today was his younger brother and closest aide, Shivpal Yadav, who played a reliable part in estranging father and son but has been included in Akhilesh Yadav's list of candidates, as requested by Mulayam Singh.

Senior party leader Azam Khan who doubled up as mediator in recent days was dispatched from stage to persuade Netaji, as Mulayam is known, to make an appearance. Seated near Akhilesh Yadav was his wife and MP Dimple Yadav who is being primed for a much larger role in the campaign than in earlier elections.

Soon after releasing the manifesto, the Chief Minister and his wife Dimple left the party office, but had to rush back to meet father Mulayam Singh who arrived after the event. The two met for over 40 minutes and were later seen walking out of the office together.