Big setback for SP if Akhilesh not CM face: Shivpal's son Aditya

NEW DELHI: In the days when the feud within the Samajwadi Party (SP) between two factions led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav was hitting the headlines with predictable monotony, a constant fixture at Shivpal’s side was his son Aditya.

Whether in Delhi or Etawah or Lucknow, the message from the 28-year-old was clearcut: his father wasn’t alone.

Yet, ask Aditya who should be the chief ministerial face for the Uttar Pradesh elections, and his answer is explicit: Akhilesh bhaiya. “The way SP has worked in the past five years, especially the CM, we know that if he is not the face, SP can get a big setback.

My father has also time and again reiterated that Akhilesh will be the CM face,” Aditya told ET Magazine.

On Friday Shivpal told party office bearers that Akhilesh will be SP’s CM face.

What then will Aditya’s role be in the polls? “Right now I am in no mood to fight elections,” declares Aditya, area in-charge for the Jaswantnagar assembly constituency.

“Our objective today is to win with a majority. And I have given my opinion to my party, Netaji, the CM as well as the state party president (Shivpal).”

His uncle and father may, however, have other ideas. And the scion is well aware of that.

“I have told the party president and workers that if they want to use my name for party prachar-prasar (campaigning), or to make a connect with the youth, they can do it,” adds Aditya.

“If the party president and Netaji decide to field me (as a candidate), I can’t say.”