Akhilesh meets Mulayam, says ties with Netaji ‘unbreakable’

Lucknow: Having bagged the ‘bicycle’ symbol, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he would take Mulayam Singh Yadav along, describing the ties with his father and the SP founder as “unbreakable”.

After Akhilesh met Mulayam at the latter’s residence, his second meeting after getting the bicycle symbol, Mulayam appeared to have softened his stand but his camp chose to avoid the media. However, treading with caution, Akhilesh camp has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in case the EC’s decision is challenged there.

During the father-son meeting, Mulayam reportedly asked Akhilesh to retain about 40 candidates selected by his camp. “Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon,” Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence. He said now his priority is to form Samajwadi Party government again and promised to take everyone along. “I will take Netaji [Mulayam Singh Yadav] along. My relation with him is unbreakable,” he said. “I was confident that I will get cycle. Little time is left. It’s a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us,” he said.

SP Rajya Sabha members Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal also reached the state capital in the evening and immediately went into a huddle with Akhilesh at his residence to finalise the candidates’ list.

Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already started. Dealing a severe blow to Mulayam, the Election Commission on Monday gave the ‘bicycle’ symbol to the faction headed by Akhilesh, recognising it as Samajwadi Party, thereby giving a major boost to the chief minister ahead of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

After getting the symbol on Monday, Akhilesh had met Mulayam late last night and later tweeted three old pictures one with his father and two of the January 1 national convention with the message “cycle chalti jayegi, aage badte jayegi” (cycle will keep moving forward). A large number of party workers, legislators and ministers reached his residence early in the morning even as hordes of ticket seekers swarmed the SP headquarters close by.

SP state president Naresh Uttam met workers at the party office. Mulayam stayed in his bungalow, which is a stone’s throw away from the chief minister’s residence and met brother Shivpal Yadav, Ambika Chowdhury and some other leaders close to him.