Samajwadi Party on Monday was engulfed in a feud as defeats in bypolls in Mulayam Singh Yadav's stronghold continued to create rumblings.
The day started with SP general secretary Amar Singh's interview to a newschannel raising speculation if he was quitting the party and ended with the tension petering out in a show of bonhomie and promise of loyalty.
The happy ending, however, raised questions on Singh's pique with second-rung leaders who have been targetting him for defeats and tensions that the bypoll debacle have stoked within.
Singh told a news channel that Yadav family's overconfidence sank the party in bypolls as the leaders neither campaigned themselves nor did they invite film stars affiliated with the party to seek votes.
While touching on the attacks on him from partymen, Singh said he wanted to be relieved from party work on health grounds. He recently underwent kidney transplant.
The comments triggered confusion in the party as his proximity to the SP chief deters anyone from giving strong views against him. Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, however, said opinions could be expressed upto a limit and the party would in future see if the limit was being crossed by any leader.
His brother and SP chief Mulayam Singh, however, appeared lost for words. He parried queries on the tension within, even agreeing to Singh's charge of "overconfidence" against him. He rebuffed charges of indiscipline against Singh by saying that he too used to criticise his party president.
Mulayam and Amar Singh later met in the Parliament complex and peace was brokered between them in the presence of close aides.
Later, the two leaders appeared before cameras with Amar Singh saying they were a family.
