LUCKNOW: Despite reservations within the family and the Samajwadi Party over his name, Akhilesh Yadav, elder son of Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is likely to be the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh soon.
The sulking members of the family and the party have been cajoled into giving their consent to Akhilesh getting the top post.
By late Friday evening, nagging senior leader of the party Azam Khan also met Mulayam Singh at his residence and is said to have grudgingly given his consent, though throughout the day he remained elusive to party leaders involved in the coronation of the junior Yadav.
The differences between Azam Khan and Akhilesh are out in the public and the two have been avoiding each other for long.
Shivpal Yadav, party’s senior leader and younger brother of Mulayam Singh, had some reservations over Akhilesh Yadav becoming CM, and had been advocating Mulayam for the post of the chief minister. The members of the family, mainly Mulayam’s cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, an RS member and said to be the conscience keeper of the party, warmed up to Shivpal Yadav, who also gave in by Friday evening and assented to Akhilesh becoming CM.
On Friday, Akhilesh himself changed his earlier stand. Earlier, he would repeatedly say that “netaji” — Mulayam Singh — should be the chief minister. But on Friday, Akhilesh said, “There is only one post and it will go to either. You will come to know tomorrow when the meeting of the legislature party is held.”