In a surprising statement contrary to his son Akhilesh Yadav's stance, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in parliament today, which left the opposition squirming but were greeted by cheers from the treasury benches with the PM acknowledging Yadav's "blessings" with folded hands.

He also said that he hopes that BJP wins the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power again.

"I hope we see the same set of MPs in the next Lok Sabha," Singh said in Lok Sabha in his valedictory speech in Lok Sabha, drawing applause from the BJP members who are in a majority in the House.. Today is the last day of the 16th Lok Sabha.

Pointing towards Modi, Mulayam said: "I hope that Modi becomes Prime Minister again. He must get another term."


Ruling alliance members heartily cheered Yadav with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" as he praised Modi for "making efforts to take everyone along".

Interestingly Mulayam was seen making this statement standing next to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

The statement has come when Akhilesh Yadav has formed an alliance with once-rival BSP in Uttar Pradesh against BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mulayam Singh, the founder of Samajwadi Party and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, had indulged into an open spat with his son Akhilesh Yadav just before the Uttar Pradesh state elections.

Ruling Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav lost the state elections in 2017 pretty badly against BJP. The saffron party had bagged 312 out of 403 seats in the state elections.