Lucknow: Senior UP minister Azam Khan has finally had his way by stalling the return of former MP and actor Jaya Prada to the Samajwadi Party. In a late-night development on Wednesday, the Akhilesh government finally sent a list of nine MLCs to be nominated by the governor to the Vidhan Parishad.
Ms Jaya Prada, whose name had almost been finalised, was dropped at the last minute, ostensibly to appease Mr Khan who was adamant on not allowing Ms Jaya Prada back into the party.
SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav had finalised Ms Jaya Prada’s name for the Upper House in the state but had to succumb to the pressure tactics of Mr Khan, who instead got the name of his loyalist Sarfaraz Khan included in the list.
Four rounds of talks were held between Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Akhilesh Yadav, Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav and Mr Ram Gopal Yadav and the majority decision was in favour of bringing back Ms Jaya Prada into the party but it was Mr Khan who had his way and stalled her re-entry.
Mr Khan’s hostility with Mr Jaya Prada has acquired legendary proportions in Rampur and Mr Khan was even expelled from the party during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when he openly opposed Ms Prada’s candidature.
Some other names in the list for nomination to the Upper House include Jitendra Yadav, a close relative of Mr Lalu Yadav, and S.R.S. Yadav, office secretary of the Samajwadi Party.
