On 81st birthday, Mulayam Singh asks cadres to strengthen Samajwadi Party for 2022 UP polls

This was Mulayam Yadav’s first appearance at the party office since the Covid-19 outbreak in March

Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday, his 81st birthday, asked party cadres to energise themselves and strengthen the party for the 2022 UP assembly polls.

Mulayam Yadav, the former defence minister and UP chief minister, celebrated his birthday in Lucknow with his son and SP president Akhilesh Yadav.

This was Mulayam Yadav’s first appearance at the party office since the Covid-19 outbreak in March.

During the celebrations, Akhilesh Yadav greeted Mulayam Yadav by draping a shawl around his shoulders. Party cadres then held a cake-cutting ceremony, recited mantras, distributed sweets and fruits and also organised a blood donation camp to mark the occasion.

Mulayam Yadav expressed gratitude to everyone for the celebrations and greetings.

The party office and Vikramaditya Marg (the road on which the office and Mulayam Yadav’s house is situated) were decked up for the occasion. Several temporary arches and hoardings with birthday greetings for Mulayam Yadav were put up on the road.

Speaking on the occasion, Akhilesh Yadav said: “Netaji [Mulayam Yadav] showed us the path of struggle and principles of Gandhi, Lohia and Ambedkar. Only this path will bring progress and prosperity. The SP is following the path he showed and us and we are committed to it. May his blessings be always with us as we fulfil our responsibilities with wisdom. We all have to work unitedly and fulfil the socialist dream.”

Celebrations were also held in other parts of Lucknow and across the state. The newly reconstituted Uttarakhand unit of the party also held a celebration at its headquarters in Dehradun.

Mulayam Yadav’s ancestral village Saifai also held a celebration and so did his brother Shivpal Yadav-led party—the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia.