By Faisal Fareed, Twocircles.net
Over the past week, the Samajwadi Party has bagged a number of headlines, but it would not be wrong to categorise the barrage of ‘news’ around them a result of past warnings that were either ignored, or worse, not deemed important enough.
Last year on October 24, Ferozabad MP Akshay Yadav, who is son of Ramgopal Yadav, wrote a letter which was released to media also during the period, bringing out the turmoil in Samajwadi Party into the open.
In that letter, Akshay Yadav had categorically stated that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was mentally tortured; efforts were done to suppress him for four and a half years.
Akshay also quoted that when CM Akhilesh Yadav along with his family members had shifted to their new house some of his belonging was left in the old house. It was thrown outside from the room and the room was locked. It depicts the intensity of family struggle going on within the Yadav family.
Akhilesh lived earlier with Mulayam at latter’s residence 5-Vikramaditya Marg and had then shifted to adjacent bungalow. Along with Akhilesh lived the family of Prateek Yadav, his wife Aparna Yadav and Mulayam’s wife Sadhna in the same house.
The contents of the letter were never denied, but who will have the courage to throw the belongings of CM from his room and lock it? Let us not name anybody.
The incident reflects the inner tussle going on within the Yadav family. Political ambitions hardly matter in any family. It is quite normal that every member has political ambitions and aspires to get higher post. Akshay also claimed that Shivpal Yadav had opposed the candidature of Akhilesh for the post of CM and even threatened that he will not take oath as minister. The matter was in March 2012. It was however resolved and Akhilesh became CM.
Now, the other power tussle continued within the family. Mulayam during most of the official functions always demeaned Akhilesh and his government for non performance. Akhilesh tried to overlook and would often be seen fiddling with his phone while Mulayam would speak.
But the inner struggle within the family continued and it reached to such an extent that his belongings were thrown out from the room. Obviously the stage was reached where he has to take some decision. He shifted to another house, got another building where he can function (Janeshwar Mishra Lohia Ke Log Trust), got some of his close confidante appointed as MLCs and when the time came he parted ways.
It is a misnomer that Akhilesh was annoyed over ticket distribution. For any tall leader who is a Chief Minister, ticket distribution hardly matters. Any leader cannot have his say in giving tickets to every person of his choice. Some tickets are given to people he dislikes and does not feel like supporting. Even in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh’s choice of candidates was totally ignored and only 2-3 candidates of his choice were given tickets that too when there was no other option.
Now it is totally wrong to say that Akhilesh parted ways just because 50 odd tickets were not of his choice. The indication of tussle has been given earlier. It was such a stage that Akhilesh’s position was threatened. The power center within the family had totally sidelined him. And above all, he was facing disgrace if Akshay’s words are to be believed.
When his belongings are thrown and room locked, there are no ways left but to begin your own journey. It happened and this time Mulayam read it totally wrong.
Shivpal Yadav summed up the situation in poetic manner. On January 1, as per the tradition he hosted a dinner for journalists at Taj Hotel in Lucknow. There he sang few lines from the movie Upkaar: ‘Kasme wade pyar wafa sab baatein hain baton ka kya, koi kisi ka nahin yahaan par, naatein hain naaton ka kya’.
At a time when the UP elections are almost upon us, one can only wait to see if Shivpal’s words turn prophetic or a mere wail of a troubled heart.