Akhilesh ends feud with uncle

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said he would support his uncle and Samajwadi Party state president Shivpal Yadav. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Saturday, Yadav also said there was “no rift” in the party. “I have congratulated him (Shivpal Yadav) on being the Uttar Pradesh chief of the Samajwadi Party and have asked all the party workers to congratulate him,” Akhilesh said.

Akhilesh had earlier said that he felt “very sad” when he was replaced with Shivpal as the state party chief by his father and party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. He had also demanded that he be given a say in the ticket distribution for the 2017 Assembly elections.  Mulayam, this is to be noted, met both Akhilesh and Shivpal on Friday to work out a truce between them. Asked about his demand on ticket distribution, Akhilesh said on Saturday, “It’s going to be my examination. I will certainly say that much to the national president.”