Mulayam Singh Yadav renews efforts to author 'family reunion'

LUCKNOW: After nearly a year long fight followed by an electoral debacle, is the Yadav Pariwar heading for a reunion?

Party insiders said Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is on the job to end the bickering in his clan and has already held four separate rounds of meetings with warring chacha-bhatija ­ brother Shivpal Yadav and son Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the party's national president.
The first sign of thaw came when Shivpal deferred the formation of his political front under the leadership of his brother Mulayam. The front was to be launched in the first week of June. Sources said it was on Mulayam's insistence that the younger brother put off the announcement.

What made Mulayam take the lead was the bickering he saw during two recent family functions, sources said. “Recently, there were two family functions -birthdays of Akhilesh's twins Teena and Arjun and of Shivpal's son Ankur Yadav. Traditionally , on such occasions the family members used to unite and celebrate, but this time the functions were celebrated separately ,“ said an insider.

Mulayam, despite a near vertical split in the family , has maintained his emotional connect with both Akhilesh and Shivpal. The extent of alienation that he saw in the family celebrations peeved the SP patriarch no end. This resulted in at least four rounds of separate meetings among the three.

“Closed-door efforts are on. We're confident of a positive outcome,“ said a close family aide. So far the three have not closeted together, but in days to come, it may happen to save the family from disintegration, he said.

Mulayam has largely succeeded in pacifying tempers in both camps. Despite his threats to do so, Shivpal has not crossed the “laxman rekha“ of breaking away from the party and the family.

The family aide told TOI that Mulayam was ready to sacrifice his ambitions and wishes to see the family together. That may result in Akhilesh being in the saddle with a significant role for Shivpal as well. Till a few days ago, Mulayam was adamant to take over as SP national president.

“He has given up the demand and now Akhilesh has to decide the role for Shivpal to bring an end to the long drawn out family feud that cost the party dear in the assembly polls,“ a source said.