Every day when Akhilesh returns after a joust with political adversaries to his Camelot, which is Lucknow's 5, Kalidas Marg, it is time to hold court with advisors and loyalists.
Whichever way the presidential polls go it will be seen as a loss of face for the Congress, writes senior analyst B Raman
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will face Union Minister SP Singh Baghel on Karhal seat of Mainpuri where both of them filed nominations on Monday.
Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said that his political outfit does not support the ruling UPA government at the Centre and neither does it support the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi greets 93-year-old Lilabai Chitale during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra at Patur in Akola. Lilabaiji went to jail in 1942 when she participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942.
When the governor and chief justice objected to his choice, the UP chief minister just changed the law.
"There is no matbhed (difference) or manbhed (ill feelings) among our leaders," Yadav said.
Mulayam accused Akhilesh of having a negative approach towards Muslims.
Insiders said Akhilesh's warring uncle Shivpal Yadav and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh were not present at father-son meeting.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the decision to join the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre in the changed political scenario would be taken by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The rift between Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party colleague Azam Khan, who also happens to be a prominent minister in the state cabinet, appears to be widening.
Mulayam alleged that Prajapati was being treated like a "terrorist" and said he would take up the matter with the prime minister.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat on Wednesday held a meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and is understood to have discussed the evolving political situation in the wake of the controversy over the ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers.
The Samajwadi Party is headed for yet another father-son showdown.
The Congress party may not give a walkover to Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav in their respective constituencies at the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The remarks come as another setback to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was recently removed from party's state president post owing to an apparent feud in the first family of the state.
Keen to regain lost ground after the drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party supreme Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday met UP Ministers and asked them to ensure the party's victory in bypolls to 12 assembly seats.
A win for SP could provide some consolation for Akhilesh Yadav after the defeat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early this year and the loss of Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in June bypolls.
Amid controversy over the absence of Samajwadi Party's Muslim face Mohammad Azam Khan from its national executive meet, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav sought to mollify him on Thursday, saying Khan can never be upset with him.
The stranglehold of Mulayam's family on the party is at the centre of the debate.
Akhilesh Yadav's stock rose dramatically on Tuesday with his Samajwadi Party cutting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party down to size in Uttar Pradesh.
Controversial independent Member of Legislative Assembly Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who had to resign from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet in March after killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul-Haq in Pratapgarh, was on Friday re-inducted as a minister.
Section 156(3) IPC empowers a magistrate to direct police to file an FIR.
Amid the raging feud in Mulayam Singh Yadav's family, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav on Thursday said the leadership had committed a "mistake" by removing Akhilesh Yadav as party's UP president and that "differences" had arisen due to some "misunderstanding".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress for "misusing" Parliament to stop the country's growth and hailed Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for "understanding this conspiracy" and working to end the logjam in the House.
The Congress took a jibe at rebel Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh for his remark that he could understand Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's "pain" when she was "humiliated" by Mulayam Singh Yadav, saying it took him a long time to understand it.
Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan is all set to rejoin the party on December 9.Khan on Saturday told mediapersons, "Now that SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has admitted his mistakes and taken suitable corrective action, I have decided to formally join the party on December 9."He said, "Mulayam Singh Yadav has been sincerely apologetic about expelling me from the party and now he has declared that he would offer me an appropriate position in the SP hierarchy."
He came to power with a huge mandate in 2012, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has now forfeited the voters' trust.
The Samajwadi Party is going all out against the Congress, drawing parallels to the Watergate scandal.
The seats held by the non-BJP parties in the state are Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Sambhal, Raebareli, Ghosi, Lalganj, Jaunpur, Ambedkarnagar, Ghazipur, Shravasti, Mainpuri, Saharanpur and Nagina. Of these, Raebareli is held by Sonia Gandhi of the Congress.
'Amar Singh witnessed some of the major political developments from close quarters'
Days after the district court ruled that a priest can perform prayers in a cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, a petitioner on Monday filled a plea seeking an ASI survey of all other closed basements in the complex.
Yet another case of gang rape and murder of a teenage girl was reported from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, the constituency of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Sure enough, the two UP satraps would need to initiate steps to put their respective houses in order and to rejuvenate their badly disillusioned party ranks following the humiliating drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. However, whether the two regional titans would care to introspect about their own failings remains a million dollar question. Sharat Pradhan reports.
Here's how our netas faring in the elections.
The Election Commission on Friday issued a show cause notice to ruling Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening school teachers appointed on contract by Uttar Pradesh government to either vote for his party in Lok Sabha polls or risk losing permanent status.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances