'Humiliated' Mulayam says Akhilesh has wisdom, but not votes

 Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday hinted that the family feud is set to escalate.

He squarely blamed his son and party chief Akhilesh Yadav for the SP’s drubbing at the recent Assembly polls.

According to Mulayam, Akhilesh was a wise person, but did not have the votes.
At a meeting of party workers in Mainpuri, Mulayam also justified Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that “jo baap ka nahin hua, woh aapka (people) kya hoga” (one who is not loyal to his father cannot be loyal to the people).

“Modi made the remarks because Akhilesh had betrayed me... our people allowed Modi to say so... this remark of Modi had a dramatic effect on the people of the state and we lost the polls,” Mulayam said.

“I have never felt so humiliated in my life,” he added. The SP leader said that the family feud was a big reason for the party’s drubbing in the polls.

He also said that Akhilesh’s decision to sack his uncle and SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav cost him dear in the polls.

Mulayam said that he would now never put his faith in Akhilesh. “I will put my faith in the people,” he added.

The SP patron’s remarks also found favour with a section of the party leadership. “Akhilesh should now hand over the reigns of the party to Mulayam,” a senior SP leader said.

SP sources said that Mulayam and Shivpal are likely to convene a meeting of senior leaders to discuss the next course of action.

Incidentally, Akhilesh had also launched a veiled attack on Shivpal at the recent national executive meet, saying “his own people had betrayed him in the polls”.