Family feud to hit Samajwadi Party chances: Mulayam Singh Yadav's wife Sadhna

LUCKNOW: Mulayam Singh Yadav's wife Sadhna Gupta has denied any role in the Yadav family strife. Akhilesh, she said, was misled into taking the steps he had taken and added the feud was "sure to impact SP prospects (kuchh to fark padega)" in the elections.

"I don't know who misled Akhilesh. He respects Netaji and me. I've had more chats with him since January 1 than in the last five years," she said. Akhilesh had moved out of the family home but his rooms are locked and opened only for cleaning, Sadhna told a news channel here on Tuesday . She hoped SP will win again and Akhilesh will become CM.

Coming a day before the last phase of polling, Sadhna's surprise TV appearance created a flut ter and gave rise to speculation over its timing.

"A lot was said against me when it (family feud) was on. I was disrespected. I won't let that happen now," she said, adding, "they wouldn't have dare said what they did had I been in politics". Expressing reservations at the way MSY was removed from the SP chief 's position, she said, "he founded and nurtured the party".

Shivpal, she added, shouldn't have been insulted and sidelined. "He has stood by Netaji all through his life," she said, once again exposing fault lines that seemed to have been papered over the day the family turned out as one to vote. She initially had political ambitions but decided to look after the family , complying with her husband's desire.

"Netaji didn't allow me to join politics, but I contributed my bit behind the scenes." She said she'd like to see her son Prateek become an MP . "I feel bad about what's happened, I don't blame anyone," she said, adding: "Time wasn't on our side... No one had thought Akhilesh would revolt."