Mulayam, Akhilesh share public space after a year

Lucknow, Oct 12 (IANS) After more than a year, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday shared public space, triggering speculation of a possible rapprochement.

Mulayam Singh joined his son, now the President of the Samajwadi Party, at a function to mark the 50th death anniversary of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia.

They chatted in between slogan shouting by party workers.

Mulayam Singh, who was literally ousted as party chief by Akhilesh Yadav on January 1, drove in a golf cart with the former Chief Minister at the Lohia park here and waved at excited party workers.

They together paid floral tributes at the statue of Lohia.

However, Mulayam Singh’s younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, the estranged uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, was conspicuous by his absence.

Mulayam Singh has so far thrown his lot behind Shivpal Yadav in the ugly spat between the two and has rarely sided with the former UP Chief Minister.