Mulayam Yadav throws a surprise, attends brother Shivpal’s ‘show of strength’ in Lucknow

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh surprised all by arriving for the rally organised by party rebel and younger brother Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM).

Sporting a red cap, the colour associated with SP, and a red-yellow-green scarf of the SSM, Mulayam drove in minutes after his younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav arrived.

The SSM had been silent about Mulayam’s participation with sources saying no invitation had been sent to him. Last month Mulayam had skipped the ‘birthday event’ organised by Shivpal for Mulayam in Saifai.

Workers from all 75 districts have converged at Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan to attend the ‘Janakrosh’ rally.

The rally aims to target both the SP and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Hoardings and banners with slogans “Taiyaar Hai Hum” (We are ready) and ‘Shivpal Hain Bemisal (unparallel Shivpal)’ dot the roads in Lucknow.

Former minister and Jaswantnagar MLA, Shivpal had floated the SSM in August this year after a protracted family feud between him and founder president Mulayam’s son and then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for the control of the party.

After the year-long feud, Akhilesh took reins of the party and Shivpal was sidelined.

Shivpal first floated the SSM and then registered a political party with the name of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) with the Election Commission (EC).

It was at the same venue that independent MLA and a minister in the previous Akhilesh government, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, too, held a show of strength as he too announced the formation of his own party, though his party is awaiting registration with EC.