Law Kumar Mishra
Patna: The RJD and JD(U) presidents are playing safe on the crisis in Samajwadi Party (SP) family in Uttar Pradesh following internal assessments that UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has emerged as the most popular leader there. Leaders of the two parties had sent inputs to their presidents briefing them about the mass base of Akhilesh particularly among the youths. The popularity of Akhilesh was much bigger than that of Mulayam Singh and his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, according to the senior officers in UP.
Some of these officers, who include both IAS and IPS, while talking informally to the Speedpost said in the event of split in the SP, majority of the legislators would support Akhilesh. There is no charge of either moral or monetary corruption against Akhilesh, they said. They claimed on Monday that Akhilesh deliberately exposed both his father and uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav as well as Amar Singh whom Mulayam described as his brother. The UP Chief minister told the party workers Live that Netaji used to intervene in the administration regularly asking him to change chief secretary also and sack ministers.
Akhilesh played to the gallery by alleging his father used to dictate him on the day to day affairs of governance too but added Netaji was leader of the party and has every right to influence the state administration. During his emotional speech, Akhilesh quoted some of his senior officers and claimed they were privy to the pressure of the SP president in administration. Akhilesh also exposed Amar Singh (without giving respect) by telling he got a report published in a national daily against him and Mulayam Singh by calling him Aurangzeb.
A former IPS officer from Bihar currently staying in Lucknow told the Speedpost on Monday that even on the streets of Luckknow , people were heard supporting Akhilesh. He said the Yadavs in rural areas may have a different view but in urban pockets, Akhilesh was the most popular leader.