Another Mulayam son may join politics

Another member of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family is reportedly “yearning” to take a plunge in active politics.

According to sources in the SP, Mulayam’s younger son Prateek Yadav has expressed his desire to enter politics. Prateek, who was married a few months ago, may soon be given some post in the party organisation, sources said.

Prateek, who has an MBA degree from Leeds in the UK, was eager to make a mark in the state’s political horizon. “He is an educated young man and can contribute immensely both in development of the state and in the party,” said an SP leader here. The sources said it was the right time for Prateek to enter politics. “Like Akhilesh, he also can bring in new ideas and infuse fresh energy in the party,” the leader said.

Significantly, the reports of Prateek wanting to enter active politics started making rounds here only after it became certain that the SP would be fielding Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav from the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat.

Prateek, if he does enter politics, would be the seventh member of the Mulayam family to do so. Dimple was the sixth member to enter politics when she contested from the Ferozabad Lok Sabha by-poll in 2009. She will be now contesting from the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat where by-poll has been slated for June 24. The seat was vacated by her husband. Dimple, incidently, is the first woman member of the family to enter politics.

Apart from Mulayam Singh Yadav, his younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav is party general secretary and senior minister in UP. Mulayam’s other brother Ram Gopal Yadav is a Rajya Sabha member and party’s national spokesman.

The SP has come under attack from the opposition BSP for “promoting family”. “Promotion of family is nothing new for the SP. It has been doing so for a long time,” said BSP state unit president Swami Prasad Maurya. “Mulayam is not a samajwadi (socialist), but a parivaarvadi (believes in promoting family),” said Maurya.