UP polls: Mulayam Singh Yadav snubs Akhilesh again
SP patriarch reaches party office after release of manifesto.
Lucknow: Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday refused to attend the function held in the party office to release the manifesto of the party.
The function was delayed by about half an hour after which senior minister Mohd. Azam Khan was sent to bring the senior Yadav to the party office. When Mr Khan failed to bring Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav went ahead and released the manifesto.
Mulayam Singh Yadav reached the party office after the function was over and the CM had left.
It may be recalled that party sources had been repeatedly asserting that Mulayam Singh Yadav would release the manifesto on Sunday.
Mr Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of the chief minister was also conspicuous by his absence. Senior leaders belonging to the Mulayam faction also stayed away.
Sources said Mulayam Singh Yadav was apparently upset with the fact that his old associate Ambica Chaudhary had been “driven out of the party” by the Akhilesh faction. Mr Chaudhary, on Saturday, had joined the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The SP has released another list of 79 candidates, in alliance with the Congress. It has declared candidates on three seats in Rae Bareli — Salon, Sareni and Unchahar.