Mulayam's equations go for a toss

With the opposition parties calling for the arrest of his trusted aide Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, after his name cropped in the murder of a senior cop, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav finds himself in a quandary.

While action against the influential Thakur leader may affect the party’s support amongst the community, its failure to heed to demands of Raja Bhaiya’s arrest from Muslim and Yadav leaders –aggrieved by the murders of a Muslim cop and two persons belonging to the Yadav community— would equally disturb its core vote bank, something Mulayam cannot afford now.

The sacked food and civil supplies minister met several Thakur SP legislators and ministers on Monday and Tuesday.