Mulayam Singh intervenes, asks Akhilesh Yadav to give back key portfolios to Shivpal Yadav

LUCKNOW: In order to bring an end to the escalating showdown between his son Akhilesh Yadav and brother Shivpal Yadav, that has spilled on the streets of the state capital, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday intervened and asked the chief minister to hand over 13 portfolios to Shivpal.

Moreover, Shivpal Yadav will continue as the state president of the Samajwadi Party.

However, the intervention of the SP chief came a bit too late as by Saturday afternoon damaged had been done to the reputation of the Yadav family and the party, with young supporters of Akhilesh refusing to work under the state presidentship of Shivpal Yadav and staging a protest for his reinstatement.

With the new compromise formula having been worked out after a meeting between Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav at former's residence on Saturday morning, it is yet to be seen whether it would be accepted by the two warring factions, headed by Akhilesh and Shivpal.

At the government level, the tension between the two power centres seems to have been coming to an end, but now the real power struggle is for control and command over the party.

In order to further assuage the hurt feelings of Shivpal, Mulayam asked Akhilesh to go to his uncle's residence and have lunch with him and then address a press conference to formally announce that all is well in the family, party and the government.