Days after the Election Commission ruled in favour of the Akhilesh Yadav led faction in the father-son battle for the party's name and symbol, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav sought to bury the hatchet saying all was well in the family and that he would 'campaign extensively for his son’ during the coming Assembly polls in the state.
“Everything is all right now. My blessings are with Akhilesh and others to form the government once again. My face is on the posters of SP but I will also campaign extensively for the party,” he told The Economic Times.
Exuding confidence of the SP retaining power, he said, “Samajwadi Party will form the government. I am working towards it. All that has happened in the party in the past few weeks. I won’t talk about the rift. It’s all in the past.”
The Samajwadi Party was recently on the verge of a split due to serious differences between the father and son over distribution of tickets for the polls. The dispute was put to rest only after the intervention of the Election Commission which ruled in favour of Akhilesh as the national president of the Samajwadi Party.
To a question about the SP and Congress entering the poll fray together, Mulayam, a three-time CM of Uttar Pradesh, said that ‘he had not been told anything more about it’.
“If it happens, it will be beneficial. When our party gives its word it sticks to it. We aren’t deal-makers like some people. Ask anyone,” he said.
Asked about the number of seats where the SP will field candidates, he said, “We won’t lose any ticket. All our sitting MLAs will get tickets. That’s all I know. I have read about the alliance proposed in the papers. Talks are on.”
The talks between the SP and Congress are in last stage. According to reports, the proposed alliance is likely to be announced today with SP likely to offer 103 seats to the Congress and the latter agreeing to it. In the 2012 polls, the SP had contested on 393 seats and won 224 while the Congress contested 355 and won 28.
He further accused the BJP of indulging in divisive politics, saying that the Samajwadi Party would always stand by Muslims.
“An environment of fear has been sought to be created. Many people in the last few days have told me that I was responsible for destroying the fear that Muslims had developed during the late 1980s. They tell me that it is their ‘good fortune’ that a leader like me is alive because of which they can live without fear. Earlier minorities were scared under the BJP and Congress regimes, but not now,” he said.
“The BJP has never wanted the minorities but now it claims, ‘sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas’. In reality, it listens only to the RSS. Sitting here I get to know everything… what the BJP is doing, what the BSP is doing.”
Speaking about the Samajwadi government’s biggest success, he said, “It has removed the fear from the minds of Muslims. Muslims tell me it is because of me they have the confidence to live. They tell me how can there be any other leader for us except you. They told me, don’t fear, we are with you.”
He also rubbished the media reports claiming that Muslims may move to Mayawati’s BSP due to the family feud.
“I told them (Muslims) I don’t get scared and asked them why they have come to console me. Some people always leave in any case. But everyone is with me. Their message was very clear: don’t let Netaji get demoralised. We are here to support him. Don’t worry.”
Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh account for nearly 20 per cent. They play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies. While divided Muslim votes can benefit the BJP, the alliance between the SP and the Congress will definitely change the poll arithmetic.
When asked about his arch rival Mayawati playing minority card, he said, “She had been giving tickets to Muslims but those days are gone now. Muslims now understand everything. Things have changed a lot.”
The septuagenarian leader also took the opportunity to praise his close aide Azam Khan.
“The biggest contribution for upliftment of Muslims in the country has been of Azam Khan. People have come and complained about him to me, but there is not one person more secular than him. He thinks about the nation. His university, for example, has more Hindus than Muslims,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, will go to the polls in seven phases between February 11 and March 8. Results will be declared on March 11.
