Ram Vilas Paswan was no fool. He knew very well about the ownership tussle going on beneath this veneer of congeniality. At all costs, he wanted to keep the lid on the family drama. He did not want it to come in the way of his son's coronation.
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Amar Singh on Tuesday shared the dais with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for the first time in four years after bitter parting of ways with the party, even as he insisted that political connotation should not be attached to this gesture.
Amid renewed efforts to get the Samajwadi Party on board on the issue of quota in promotion bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday talked to party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
BJP sources suggest that the upcoming elections will likely revolve around the renewed enthusiasm for the temple unless another theme with religious and nationalist undertones emerges.
Describing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government as "scam-tainted", Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday spoke of his party playing a major role in the country after the 2014 election.
Even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been busy fighting his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take control of the party, his step-brother Prateek Yadav has kept himself away from the hullaballoo and has been busy building his biceps.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged disproportionate assets of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, would continue.
In view of the Congress-led coalition getting a simple majority with the help of its pre-poll allies, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister could not play kingmaker at the Centre.
In surprising comments, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said his Samajwadi Party, a key outside supporter of the United Progressive Alliance government, is in the "opposition" and will fulfill its role in that capacity.
The oath taking took place as the House witnessed a virtual slogan-shouting contest between treasury and opposition benches.
Why has Mulayam Singh Yadav withdrawn it now?
The 90-minute meeting is being seen as an attempt at reconciliation between Shivpal, a Cabinet minister, and Akhilesh after intervention of the latter's father Mulayam.
Finally waking up to the unabated indiscipline in his party rank and file leading to spate of violent incidents, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday issued a terse warning to the newly-appointed members of his son Akhilesh Yadav's ministry, telling them to behave.
The Samajwadi Party on Thursday pulled out of the 'grand alliance' in poll-bound Bihar, saying it felt "humiliated" as it was not consulted while deciding seats and would contest the assembly elections in the state on its own.
As the race for the President reaches it non-exciting climax, it is clear that no political constituent is winning with dignity, says Sheela Bhatt.
Uttar Pradesh's powerful minister Azam Khan will host a gala event on the occasion of Samajwadi Party founder and president Mulayam Singh Yadav's 75th birthday in Rampur on Friday and Saturday.
Samajwadi Party-backed traders had staged demonstrations outside a few Reliance Fresh stores on the inaugural day. Terming the demonstrations as a "law and order problem", the Mayawati administration ordered the prompt closure of all stores.
Other than promising several sops to Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also declared that he would set up a high-level commission to investigate "financial irregularities" by the Mayawati government. Sharat Pradhan reports.
"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.
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.
Holi revelry landed Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav into trouble on Thursday with the Election Commission slapping a notice on him for alleged distribution of cash during a function at his native place in Etawah district.
Twenty-four legislators were inducted as Cabinet minister and 67 as ministers of state.
Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav might have repeatedly castigated his Chief Minister son Akhilesh Yadav for his loose grip over the administration.
Who stands to benefit more out of the visibly-possible renewed relationship between Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh?
Besides the picture of Akhilesh Yadav, the poster also carries the picture of party state spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan 'Chand', who earlier in July on the birthday of the SP chief had put up a similar banner outside the SP office.
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".
The meeting came a day after Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh met the Congress chief for a tie-up in Uttar Pradesh.
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".
'Nine years ago, I had met Akhilesh at a function in Mumbai. Since then, our friendship has continued.'
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.
Launching a frontal attack on the Samajwadi Party leadership, Amar Singh on Thursday said he was capable of winning Lok Sabha elections from the seats held by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's kin, including son Akhilesh.
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.
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.
MPs should be banned from speaking in English in Parliament, Samajwadi Party supreme Mulayam Singh Yadav has said.
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