Photo I Tweeted With Netaji Is Old, Admits Akhilesh Yadav To NDTV

Lucknow: After Akhilesh Yadav was recognised as the leader of the Samajwadi Party and awarded the rights to use the party name and symbol (a cycle), he rushed over from his home to see his father, who lives next door, "to seek his blessing." After the visit, he tweeted a photo of his father and him seated across each other in animated discussion on cream sofas, with the caption" "The cycle will keep going."

The short expedition and the tweet were peace offerings from a 43-year-old politician after establishing that his father, who founded their party, and his aides, are essentially Non-Performing Assets and that a generational shift in leadership has been exercised despite their public and forceful objections.

Today, Akhilesh Yadav told NDTV that the photo he posted was old. "But Netaji (Mulayam Singh) was wearing the same sweater (last night) as in the picture," he disclosed.

It's important for the Chief Minister, who is seeking a second consecutive term, to establish among voters that despite hijacking the party and the post of President from his father, he remains a respectful son, reliant on the 77-year-old's experience. After each installment of the family feud - and there was no shortage of them - Akhilesh Yadav stressed that all he wanted was to save his party and father from the manipulation of lieutenants like Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav. "The party will always be Netaji's," he has said more than once; a tweet a few weeks ago spoke of taking "tough decisions" to "protect the ones you love."