With the Samajwadi Party’s power play tilting in favour of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, is it the end of the road for Amar Singh?
Representing the old guard led by Mulayam’s brother Shivpal, Singh was seen as being opposed to the policies that Akhilesh wanted to promote.
With Akhilesh now likely to enjoy a predominant say in the formulation of campaign strategies and ticket distribution for the upcoming state polls, what is the political space left for Singh?
While Singh has taken a conciliatory approach towards Akhilesh, it is unlikely that he will have a major say in party affairs in coming months.
Read | Samajwadi Party rank and file backs Akhilesh in turf war with Shivpal
Responding to the latest development, Singh said: “Mulayam Singhji has done the right thing. He has given a message that he will not let either the SP or his family break. The conspiracy of the people who wanted the party and the family to break has failed,” he said.
Akhilesh has openly indicated that his relations with Singh — whom he has described as “uncle”— were not cordial. Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit this month, Akhilesh said that if he had been the state party president, he would have recommended Singh’s sacking to Mulayam.
Singh had been in political isolation for the past six years. After SP expelled him in 2010, he set up the Lok Jan Morcha and fought the 2012 assembly elections in UP, but the party lost from all the seats. He briefly joined Ajit Singh’s RLD, eventually warming his way back into the SP after Mulayam nominated him to the Rajya Sabha last May.
Also read | Mulayam’s Amar Prem: Why SP chief can’t do without his friend
Source: HindustanTimes