Within days of having been re-elected as president of the Samajwadi Party, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister 
Akhilesh Yadav today drove to his father Mulayam Singh Yadav's house in Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh held closed door talks for about an hour.
Akhilesh Yadav's meeting with estranged SP leader Mulayam Singh at latter's residence has raised hopes of a possible patch-up between the two.
This was the first meeting between Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh after the former was re-elected as the party chief at the Agra convention of the Samajwadi Party on October 5.
AKHILESH MEETS MULAYAM: THINGS TO KNOW
Mulayam Singh Yadav, along with his younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, had skipped the important national convention for the first time in 25 years of the party's history.
The political grapevine in the state capital has it that there is finally some thaw in the father-son relations, which fell apart in January this year when Akhilesh overthrew his father as the party chief and replaced him in a coup of sorts.
Sources said that though there were "still many knots" to be cut, the ice had been broken between the two raising hopes that realignment of the family as well as the party might take place soon.
Mulayam Singh is sullen at the way he has been edged out in the party that he formed 25 years back and Akhilesh Yadav has a grouse with his father that he sides with his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav over him.
Mulayam Singh has reportedly told Akhilesh Yadav to regain the respect of his uncle Shivpal Yadav by naming him as the national general secretary of the party.
Shivpal Yadav, however, is supposed to have demanded that the post of party president is honourably returned to Mulayam Singh.
This looks unlikely, at least for now, as Akhilesh Yadav has already been elected party chief for the next five years at the Agra convention.
All eyes are now on 5, Vikramaditya Marg (Mulayam's residence) on what emerges from there. Only last month Mulayam had hurriedly called a press conference, apparently to announce a new party and breaking of ranks with the SP, but he developed cold feet at the last minute and refused to read from the prepared text that would have announced a new party.
Since then Shivpal has gone into a sulk over what his camp perceives as "yet another ditching by Mulayam", but with not many options left, Shivpal has for now stuck to his brother.
Akhilesh on his part ensured that there were no hostile comments or speeches and slogans against his uncle at the Agra convention, unlike the one at the Janeshwar Mishra park in Lucknow on January 1 this year when Shivpal was the target of many.
(With IANS inputs)
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. (Photo: PTI)