Ramayana script plays out in Mulayam PariWar; second wife Sadhna emerges as key player
Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife, Sadhna has emerged as a prominent player in the political war that has broken out in the Samajwadi Party ahead of assembly elections.
In Short
- Sadhna Yadav has emerged as a key player in the ongoing Samajwadi crisis.
- Shivpal Yadav and Sadhna are allegedly against Akhilesh being projected as the face of SP for assembly polls.
- Sadhna is worried about the political prospects of her daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav.
Ramayana may be central to BJP's core political agenda, but its script is being played out in Mulayam Singh Yadav's family. There was a king, Dasharatha in the Ramayana age, who ruled not very far from where Mulayam Singh has been striving hard to hold on to his political bastion. Like the king of Ayodhya, the SP chief finds himself strewn between his second wife, Sadhna and Akhilesh, whom he considers the legitimate heir to his political legacy. In Ramayana it was Kaikeyi, who played tricks and in Mulayam's family, insiders said, his second wife Sadhna emerged as the key player behind the Samajwadi crisis.
WATCH: All you need to know about Mulayam's second wife Sadhna, a key player in the PariWar
READ: Samajwadi crisis: Akhilesh Yadav rules out any move to split party, BJP demands a floor test
WHO IS SADHNA? Not too many people knew about Sadhna Gupta before 2003, when Mulayam Singh's first wife and the mother of Akhilesh Yadav, Malti Yadav passed away. Sadhna got the status of Mulayam's wife the same year. It is not publicly known as to when they exactly married. Mulayam and Sadhna have a son, Prateek, who was born in 1988. Prateek is said to be 'not interested' in politics but many blame mother Sadhna for the recent developments pitting Mulayam against his eldest son Akhilesh.
READ: Samajwadi Party crucial meet: Who said what STORY BEGAN IN 2012 People familiar with the developments within the Mulayam family said that the storm started building up soon after the 2012 assembly polls, when the SP won a majority against all odds. After the elections, Sadhna and Shivpal wanted Mulayam Singh to lead the government. But Mulayam decided to project Akhilesh as the next leader and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Many believe in the allegations levelled by now suspended MLC Udaiveer Singh that Sadhna tried to mobilize SP leaders in 2012 to prevent Akhilesh from becoming the chief minister.
READ: Samajwadi party crucial meet: My son won't be removed, says Mulayam Singh Udaiveer Singh has been a close associate of Akhilesh, who incidentally did not refute the allegations leveled by the MLC, which in turn, has upset Mulayam. Mulayam has taken any attack on Sadhna and Shivpal as a challenge to his authority, even as he tries to defuse the crisis fearing a rout in the forthcoming elections early next year.
SAME STORY AFTER FIVE YEARS What she could not do in 2012, insiders say, Sadhna is now attempting to achieve ahead of the 2017-elections. She is said to be against the idea that Akhilesh continues to be the face of Samajwadi Party. Many believe that is why Mulayam made the statement that the next chief minister would be decided by elected legislators of the party. And that is why a call was given by Shivpal for Mulayam to assume the post of the chief minister. Akhilesh believes that Amar Singh - who is also close to Sadhna and is understood be advising her on political matters - is behind this game of thrones. This explains Akhilesh's vehement opposition to Amar Singh and demand for his immediate expulsion from the party. Sadhna Yadav is supposed to have played a role in Amar Singh's re-entry in the Samajwadi fold, even though his relation with Mulayam had turned sour.
Sadhna wants to have a place of significance in Mulayam's Samajwadi family. She entered his Lucknow residence only after the demise of Akhilesh's mother in 2003. She also got a separate house constructed for herself in Mulayam's village Saifai. With son Prateek not keen on pursuing active politics, Sadhna is now working behind the scene to establish her daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who was recently in news for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
READ: Akhilesh-Shivpal supporters clash ahead of crucial Samajwadi Party meet Sources in the party say the Lucknow Cantonment seat has been finalised to launch Aparna into politics in the next elections. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, may contest from the same seat. This possibility, some observers feel, has put doubts in Sadhna's mind about Aparna's immediate political future and explains her increasing insecurity.
Akhilesh is apparently fighting the battle within his family to ensure a full tenure as chief minister. In the final year and right before elections, he has understood the fact that without having a good hold on the party, he cannot secure his political future. Akhilesh quickly acted against those close to Shivpal and Sadhna. He sacked Gayatri Prajapati and Raj Kishore Singh from his Cabinet, following it up by removing chief secretary Deepak Singhal the next day. The Chief Minister also sacked Shivpal from his Cabinet twice in a month. Letters from Udaiveer Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav were said to "have not been issued without his approval". It looks like a Ramayana script being staged in Mulayam's family with one big difference: the gen-next protagonist in Samajwadi family is not ready to go down without a fight.ALSO READ:
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