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.
Reacting to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's apology to Muslims for tying up with those responsible for Babri demolition, his political rivals on Thursday termed it opportunism and a gimmick to gain mileage ahead of the next assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
After witnessing a near rout in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh might be facing the toughest challenge in its political history. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was basking in the glory of wrestling the reigns of the state from Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati in the 2012 assembly elections, is now facing political heat in more ways than one.
Congress' poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday held a two-hour meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls due early next year.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday told mediapersons that his party was in alliance talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party.The alliance will be possible only if the BJP agreed to SP's conditions, Mulayam said, though he did not elaborate the conditions. He added that he had met BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and senior leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to discuss the matter.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has lashed out at Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, accusing him of trying to evoke Muslim sentiments on the controversial Babri Masjid demolition issue, to garner votes.
Shivpal Yadav will contest the elections from Jaswantnagar, the constituency sought for him by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The Dedh Ishqiya actress performed at the Samajwadi Party's annual extravaganza in Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's native village Safai in Uttar Pradesh.
"Changes should be visible in six months and the manifesto should be implemented within a year as there is no guarantee when Lok Sabha elections are announced after that," Mulayam said, addressing party leaders and workers at a function to mark the 102nd anniversary of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia in Lucknow.
Even as Akhilesh Yadav has emerged stronger in Uttar Pradesh politics, the Samajwadi Party has become weaker due to family feud, reports Virendra Singh Rawat.
The sources said the Congress is the binding force for the opposition bloc and the stronger the Congress emerges the better for the alliance.
Ruling Samajwadi Party appeared to be headed for a split on Sunday as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his party supremo and father Mulayam Singh were engaged in an open face-off, sacking each other's loyalists Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav.
Even as Uttar Pradesh chief minister designate Akhilesh Yadav was awaiting his coronation on Thursday, his father and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav was busy giving final touches to the formation of the son's first government.
'Nine years ago, I had met Akhilesh at a function in Mumbai. Since then, our friendship has continued.'
Who stands to benefit more out of the visibly-possible renewed relationship between Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh?
A day after high drama at a key meeting of the ruling Samajwadi Party, its state unit chief Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday said all was well in the party as he visited Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence and was joined in later by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Twenty-four legislators were inducted as Cabinet minister and 67 as ministers of state.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday sought to downplay the resignation of his close associate Amar Singh from key posts of the party, saying there were no differences with him.
Shivpal refused to comment on whether the SSM will eventually part ways with the Samajwadi Party.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav sprung a surprise on Friday saying that he supported the Women's Reservation Bill and that he did not want a "quota within quota".
For the third time in as many weeks, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday heaped praise on BJP leader L K Advani, describing him as an honest person who has suffered a lot during the country's partition.
The Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged acquisition of disproportionate assets by Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh and his son Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh chief minister, may be headed for a closure with investigators said to have not been able to gather enough evidence.
Addressing an election meeting, Amar Singh charged Mulayam with giving protection to the corrupt and criminals and said that Yadav's cycle, SP's poll symbol, "had two wheels (Mualyam and Amar Singh) of which one has been removed and with one wheel left it would only grace a circus after the polls".
The idea is to reinforce Mulayam's 'dhartiputra' or son-of-the-soil image, say party sources.
Despite the Samajwadi Party announcing moves to seek his disqualification, expelled party leader Amar Singh on Tuesday ruled out resigning from the Rajya Sabha and dubbed the seat as a "parting gift" given to him by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Expelled leader Amar Singh on Tuesday hit back at the Samajwadi Party, saying that the only deal he tried to strike with the United Progressive Alliance government in 2008 was to 'exonerate' Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case."I did not make any deal but only asked for one favour from the UPA government and that was the exoneration of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case," he said.
The refusal of the apex court to concede an appeal by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his clan for reprieve in the disproportionate assets case has left the entire family high and dry.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress MP Mohammad Azharuddin were on Thursday detained by Uttar Pradesh police while they were on their way to a violence-hit village in Moradabad where restrictions are in force.
Dissident Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kalyan Singh on Sunday met Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav amid growing apprehensions that the BJP's 'mandir-mandal' face may change sides in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls. Sources in BJP said that the meeting could have been triggered due to Kalyan's presumption of disciplinary action against him.
Refuting reports of an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Friday that his party was against BJP and there was not even a remote chance of an alliance.
Yadav said the appointments will be made very soon since there is a shortage of sanitary workers in the local bodies.
In a stinging attack on Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to hoodwink Muslims by talking of apology after "having allowed their carnage" in 2002 and dismissed as "baseless propaganda" Gujarat chief minister's development claims.
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Wednesday shared the dais with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on the inaugural day of SP's national convention in Lucknow, fuelling speculation about their joining hands.
Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Dimple is the first lady from the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister's family to take a plunge into politics.
As yoga guru Ramdev raised the pitch against Congress over the issue of black money, United Progressive Alliance ally Samajwadi Party on Monday said it will support anybody who fights for the cause.
The feud in Uttar Pradesh's first family had ended on Saturday after Akhilesh restored all but one portfolio of Shivpal and promised to support him as SP's state unit president, a post from which he was himself removed three days back triggering the power tussle with his uncle.
Intensifying its attack on Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday dared him to withdraw support to the United Progressive Allaince government if he was a true Lohiaite and ridiculed the SP chief for asking party workers to bag maximum Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Firing a fresh salvo at Samajwadi Party, Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma has said that Mulayam Singh Yadav's party will win only four seats in the Lok Sabha polls and there will be a 'funeral procession for the party'.
The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday demanded a ban on Bajrang Dal in the wake of attacks on churches and missionaries in Orissa and Karnataka, saying when there is a ban on SIMI the same action can be taken against the saffron outfit.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has demanded that Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Ashok Argal, who made allegations of bribery against his party in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, be arrested immediately.Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav termed the allegation as a 'drama' staged by the saffron party when they were about to be 'exposed for offering money' to RJD's Pappu Yadav.
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