 "A file photo of UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at a function in Lucknow")
The Samajwadi Party might like to call itself socialist but it has never shied away from family rule. The last time SP was in power, Mulayam Singh’s brother Shivpal, his cousin Ramgopal, nephew Dharmendra and son Akhilesh were the moving figures behind the administration in Lucknow. Shivpal was the PWD minister but wielded enormous clout in the government and was responsible for recruitment in the state’s police force for allegedly pecuniary benefits.
In fact one of the reasons the police force in UP is considered ineffective is the probe Mayawati ordered after she came to power in 2007, sacking thousands of policemen who were appointed by the Mulayam Singh government and replacing them with appointees of her own. The transition weakened the effectiveness of the police force.
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After SP lost power, it set out to clean up its stables. Party General Secretary Amar Singh left. Muslim pedagogue Azam Khan returned. And in 2009, Mulayam Singh appointed Akhilesh president of the SP.
Because of the power he had wielded, a large number of party leaders had cast their lot with Shivpal. Now Akhilesh began whittling his uncle’s sphere of influence. Observers got the first indication of discord in December 2011 over the induction of Hasanuddin Siddiqui. Siddiqui was Shivpal’s contribution to SP, thought as a great coup because he is the brother of Mayawati's confidant and senior minister Nasimuddin Siddiqui.
But Akhilesh, who was the party president, said Hasanuddin was never offered membership of the party and was not a member of the SP. Five days later, Shivpal said, “I had inducted Hasanuddin into the party. He is a member.” Mulayam Singh had to step in to sort the matter out. But the cat was out of the bag.
As party president since 2009, there were many other incidents to suggest Akhilesh was re-crafting the party. Sunny Yadav was given the nomination from Sahjanwan Gorakhpur, dropping sitting MLA Yashpal Rawat. D P Yadav, liquor baron and former minister in the SP government, was about to return to SP. Akhilesh not only shot the plan down but also threw out Mohan Singh, veteran SP leader who tried to insist publicly that D P Yadav should be brought back.
It was only natural that when SP got a majority in the 2012 elections, Akhilesh was made Chief Minister. The other brothers and cousins didn’t like it – but they had to lump it. Akhilesh tried to keep to a straight line but on many occasions, found his hands were tied: Mulayam Singh had placed ‘ádvisors’ strategically in the CM’s secretariat and kept close tabs on what Akhilesh was doing.
Not only he – also the extended family was keeping a tab on Akhilesh.
The first time we got to know things were veering out of control was when Amar Singh became Rajya Sabha MP from SP. At first, Mulayam Singh Yadav said he would support Amar Singh’s nomination from the outside. Then he became the party nominee. This was preceded by Singh throwing a party for Shivpal Singh Yadav’s son’s wedding in Delhi. So it was clear whose nominee he was.
Now with this current round of expulsions, charges, countercharges and internecine warfare, SP is back at doing what it is best at: shooting itself in the foot. As in the past, it can only end in tears.
