There were some anxious moments when Akhilesh Yadav initially refused to eat the cake offered by Mulayam Singh Yadav
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday celebrated the 79th birthday of his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Uncles Shivpal Singh Yadav and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav however did not attend the celebrations at the party office.
Unlike last year, when the two warring factions had organized separate functions to celebrate the occasion, Akhilesh himself hosted the event at the party headquarters on Vikaramditya Marg. Last year’s celebrations were called off due to the death of a senior party leader.
Birthday celebrations of the septuagenarian leader of one of the country’s biggest political families began with cutting of a 79-kg cake. Akhilesh presented a Kashmiri shawl to his father and offered sweets. Senior party leaders also greeted him. Mulayam was born on November 22, 1939 in Saifai village of Etawah.
There were some anxious moments when Akhilesh initially refused to eat the cake offered by Mulayam. However, he later gave in to his father’s insistance.
Speaking on the occasion, Mulayam said Akhilesh is his son first and leader later. “He is a good boy and has performed well as Chief Minister. My blessings will always be with him,” said a smiling Mulayam.
Later, both the father and son talked to each other for over an hour and Mulayam was seen giving political tips to Akhilesh. During this Diwali, Mulayam had attempted to broker ice in the ongoing family feud when the entire Yadav clan had gathered at Saifai.
However, with both Shivpal and Ram Gopal staying away from the celebrations, it seems the power tussle still continues within the Samajwadi Party.
When asked, Shivpal said he congratulated ‘Netaji’ over phone. Shivpal was unhappy as Akhilesh did not invite him.
Shivpal also showed reservations on Akhilesh still hobnobbing with Congress for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “He has not learnt his lessons from the defeat of 2017,” he pointed.
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