Yadav clan is united, assures Mulayam

LUCKNOW: Even as Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, addressing party workers on Friday, said the Yadav clan was united and people should stop speculating about it, younger brother Shivpal Yadav announced that his newly formed Samajwadi Secular Moracha will contest elections from all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP.

Earlier, however, Shivpal had told TOI that his outfit will not take on Mulayam, as he had his blessings.

Mulayam’s statement came while addressing party workers at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, which he visited for the second consecutive day on Friday after maintaining a distance from the party affairs and SP office for at least past six months. In the political circles Mulayam’s frequent visits to party office, that began a day after Shivpal launched his Morcha on Saturday, are being seen as the veteran politician’s attempt to send out a message that he was with the SP which is at present led by son Akhilesh Yadav.

Calling upon the party workers to unite and work for the party, Mulayam said: “Party aur pariwar ek hai … log atkale lagana band karein” (The party and family is united …. People should stop speculating).

His statements came during a condolence meeting of former SP MLA from Shikohabad Jhaulal Yadav who died recently. The gathering also observed two-minute silence in his memory.

While Mulayam was interacting with the partyworkers in Lucknow, younger brother Shivpal Yadav who was on his way to Muzaffarnagar to start campaigning for his newly formed outfit, announced that the outfit would contest elections from all 80 seats in UP. “ … Aur UP ki sabhi seaton par chunao ladene ka …. 80 seaton par chunao ladenge” (We will contest from all 80 seats in UP) he said responding to a media query in Baghpat.