Mulayam snubs Akhilesh, goes along with old guard in UP polls

SP chief rules out alliance, but candidates to 78 seats yet to be announced

Having already settled the succession battle in his Samajwadi Party in favour of his son and current Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav reached out to his younger brother, state party chief, Shivpal Yadav, by announcing a list of 325 candidates on Wednesday for the coming assembly polls. The list has most of the names recommended by Shivpal, including some facing criminal cases.

By announcing the list, Mulayam Singh conveyed that he remained the final arbiter of disputes. And, that it was the party organisation that was likely to secure a victory, rather than good work of the government. 

 

Akhilesh was in Jhansi on Wednesday and said he'd speak to his supporters who didn't get poll tickets. Shivpal was by the side of his brother at the press conference in Lucknow.

Amid Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s talks to explore a possible alliance, Mulayam Singh ruled out any such with any party for the elections. However, names for 78 seats have not been announced, exactly the number agreed between Akhilesh and Gandhi that the Congress could contest. Sources say Mulayam Singh is upset with his son for initiating alliance talks without his consent, and would only agree if Congress president Sonia Gandhi were to intervene. 

The UP assembly has 403 seats. The 325 candidates announced on Wednesday comprise 176 sitting MLAs of the 224 seats the SP had won in 2012 and 149 non-MLA seats. Last week, Shivpal had given Mulayam Singh a list of 175 names; Akhilesh had given one for all 403 seats.

Akhilesh had objected to several names in his uncle’s list but finds himself overruled. The list carries the names of Sigbatullah Ansari, brother of jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari, and Atiq Ahmed, who faces 40-odd criminal cases, including of murder and attempt to murder. Aman Mani Tripathi, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a case related to the killing of his wife, does not figure in the list.

It also does not have the names of quite a few pro-Akhilesh ministers and legislators, particularly Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Singh Gope (all ministers). Thirty current ministers and eight former ones have been given party tickets. These include those Akhilesh had dismissed.

Mulayam said Akhilesh was "free to contest" from any seat he wanted. Akhilesh’s name does not figure in the list but is a member of the state's legislative council and his term ends in 2018. Aparna Yadav, wife of Mulayam Singh’s younger son, Prateek, will be a candidate from the Lucknow Cantonment seat.

Mulayam Singh also said the SP had no tradition of projecting anyone as its chief minister before an election. “Some parties do it and bite the dust. In the SP, the legislators elect their leader," he said.
 

In Jhansi, Akhilesh said he will speak with those who didn't get tickets. Mulayam Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "fighter".