TIL Desk/National/Lucknow/ In what appears to be the first major conciliatory gesture, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has said his son Akhilesh has his blessings and that all is well in the family now. Mulayam was insistent that the bruising conflict was over. The father’s efforts at rapprochement are a critical factor in Uttar Pradesh elections, where SP and Bharatiya Janata Party are widely seen as the two strongest contenders for power. The seven phase polls begin on February 11.
Votes will be counted on March 13. “Ab sab kuch theek hai… Mera Akhilesh aur baaki sabko pura ashirwad hai ki woh phir se sarkar banaye (Everything’s alright now… Akhilesh and others have my blessings to form the government again)… My face is on the posters of SP but I will also campaign extensively,” Mulayam told.
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took firm control of the party after the Election Commission ruled last week that SP’s poll symbol, bicycle, will be awarded to the Akhilesh faction. There has been speculation about Mulayam’s future course of action.
Mulayam was categorical in his praise for his son, and there was evidence of paternal pride. Talking about Akhilesh’s performance, he said: “Jitna badhiya kar sakta tha utna kiya usne (Akhilesh has performed as well as was possible)… His intentions are always to do good work… Aakhir beta toh hai hi (After all he is my son).”
