Mulayam Singh rules out leaving SP

Contrary to expectations, Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday refused to desert his son and SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav, despite calling him a “dhokhebaz” (betrayer).

“Akhilesh has betrayed me. He had said that he would hand over the party’s reins to me after the Assembly polls but did not fulfil his promise,” Mulayam told reporters here.

‘’A senior BJP leader (Modi) had said that a person, who is not true to his father, cannot be loyal to the people,” the SP patron said but made it clear that he was not going to form a separate outfit.

He said that there was no question of leaving the SP. “I am against Akhilesh but not against the SP. Akhilesh has already left the party,” he added.

Akhilesh, immediately after the press conference, tweeted “Netaji (Mulayam) zindabad’’.

According to sources within the SP, Mulayam was to announce his decision to leave the SP and head the Lok Dal, whose current chief Sunil Singh had also arrived in the state capital to take part in the press conference.

A press note prepared by the SP patron’s brother Shivpal was to be read out by
Mulayam.