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UP polls: Yadav family presents united face in Saifai
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple Yadav, father Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncles Shivpal Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, cousins and scores of other close relatives gathered at the ancestral house in Saifai before voting
Unlike five years ago when they seemed deeply divided, the Mulayam Singh Yadav family presented a united face in Saifai, their hometown, 20 km from Etawah, on the voting day for the third phase of the UP polls on Sunday.
The only faces that were missing were Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, his (Mulayam’s) wife Sadhna Gupta and younger son Pratik Yadav. Ahead of the UP assembly elections, Aparna had joined the BJP but asserted her decision would not impact the family bonds.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple Yadav, father Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncles Shivpal Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, cousins and scores of other close relatives gathered at the ancestral house in Saifai. The family came together before leaving for the Abhinav School where they were to vote for the UP polls.
Most noticeable was Ram Gopal and Shivpal going together to the polling centre to vote. Shivpal said the SP would register the “biggest victory” and Akhilesh has his blessings.
“We have to make Akhilesh (Yadav) chief minister again,” he said.
Asked about the rumours of the SP plotting his defeat from Jaswant Nagar, Shivpal was furious and asked the journalists to behave.
“The competition is among the people of Karhal and his seat Jaswant Nagar. They will decide who will get a bigger margin among us,” he said.
Ahead of the 2017 elections, Shivpal and Akhilesh had been locked in a political feud culminating in Akhilesh, who was chief minister at the time, taking control of the party. Experts say the tussle had affected the party’s chances at the hustings and the SP lost the 2017 election.
Later, Shivpal had floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia. Ahead of the 2022 polls, Shivpal and Akhilesh resolved their political differences and Shivpal’s party tied up with the SP. The SP gave one seat, Jaswant Nagar, to Shivpal.
During the 2017 elections, the entire family was politically divided. This time, there was excitement and a sense of unison among the members.
Mulayam Singh Yadav has been camping in his stronghold for the last four days. He even went to Karhal to ensure the victory of his son, who is contesting an assembly election for the first time.
Akhilesh, too, looked confident with the family’s show of unity. He said the ruling BJP would be eliminated from the state after the third phase of polling. “Farmers will not forgive the BJP. We have hit the century in first two phases and the SP alliance will be head of everyone else in this phase,” he said to reporters.
He cast his vote at booth 239 with his wife for the Jaswant Nagar seat, which his uncle Shivpal is contesting for a sixth term. The seat has been held by the family since 1985.
