Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav insisted that the "party and family are united", as he addressed a press conference in Lucknow where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's absence was noted. A deep divide has ruined the Yadav family as both, the father and son refuse to mend differences between them.
"My entire life is devoted for the welfare of the people and he will continue to work for them," the party patron said. Defending party MP Amar Singh, who Akhilesh feels is the reason for all the problems in the family, Mulayam asked, "Why to drag him in all this? My family and party are united. All workers are united. There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base. There is no matbhed (differences), or manbhed (ill feelings) among our leaders." Problems amongst the party members have fed the media for the past few days. The SP hit the headlines on Sunday when party state unit chief Shivpal Yadav and three other ministers were sacked.
When asked whether these ministers would be reinstated in the Akhilesh cabinet, Mulayam said, "I leave this to the CM. You ask him why he made them ministers and why he sacked them." He added that the Model Code of Conduct will come into force in November or December, and the government will not be able to work freely. Meanwhile, Akhilesh stated he will not quit his father's SP even if he is removed as Chief Minister. The 43 year old said, "I was made Chief Minister by the party president who is my father. If he asks me to step down, I certainly will." He dismissed all rumours about him starting a new party, saying that "if I am removed, I will campaign for him. Like a horse in a race has blinkers on and it doesn't look anywhere else, I am looking at the next election. I have no other plans."
The statement came hours after Mulayam's press interaction. Things have been sour ever since Akhilesh took over as CM of UP. Mulayam was known to keep interference in matters of governance, to the extent that there were speculations as to who ran the state.
