Lucknow: Senior members of the Janata Parivar, who came together on one platform here on Saturday to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Samajwadi Party, did three significant things.
First, all the leaders vowed to defeat the BJP under the leadership of Samajwadi president Mulayam Singh Yadav. Secondly, they made an effort to bring together the warring factions of the Samajwadi Party and, thirdly, endorsed Mr Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
The shadow of the infighting in the party, however, loomed large over the event.
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda made SP state president Shivpal Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav raise their hands together in a show of unity while RJD leader Lalu Yadav made Akhilesh touch the feet of his uncle Shivpal and father Mulayam on the dais.
The ‘truce’ was symbolic since Akhilesh carried a sword in one hand while he touched his uncle’s feet with another. Uncle Shivpal was also seen carrying a sword while he blessed the Chief Minister.
In his speech, Mr Shivpal Yadav laid bare his feelings. While he lauded the Chief Minister for the excellent work done in his leadership, he said that he was certainly not an aspirant for the Chief Minister’s post.
“I have made a lot of sacrifice for the party under the guidance of Netaji (Mulayam). I am ready to make more sacrifices. You can sack me, humiliate me and I will work for the party till the last drop of my blood. I will tolerate my humiliation but not the humiliation of Netaji. There are some trespassers who are vitiating the atmosphere in the party,” he said. He said that some people inherit power without doing anything while others get nothing despite making sacrifices.
Mr Akhilesh Yadav returned the fire when he said, “You have given me a sword but I am not allowed to use it. Dr Lohia said that the world will listen to me but only after I am gone. Today, I can say that some people will listen to me but only after things go awry in the Samajwadi Party. I do not want to reply to certain things but I am ready to take any test for the party”.
Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, in his speech, said, “I have brought Shivpal and Akhilesh together to show that there is no difference in the family.”. Terming the BJP as a ranga siyar (painted jackal), he said, “Under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, we will defeat BJP in UP just as we did in Bihar.”
