There is no dearth of intrigue in the first family of the Samajwadi Party (SP). The biggest event at the party meeting in Agra, where Akhilesh Yadav was elected SP chief for another five years, was the absence of Mulayam Singh Yadav. At the national convention, Akhilesh Yadav and his supporters said Netaji had given his blessings via telephone.
In Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s security cover was informed that he might be travelling to Agra. But just before the convention he called his brother Shivpal Yadav home. At the state-level SP convention that took place 10 days before the national convention, there was a concerted attack on Shivpal Yadav, calling him a traitor to the SP cause. This theme was not heard at the national convention.