Mulayam chooses to remain in Lucknow

Unable to identify a role for himself in national politics, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav had decided to resign his Lok Sabha seat.

Yadav had been elected from the Mainpuri seat.

The chief minister, yesterday, addressed two meetings in his constituency where he explained that he felt it his duty to remain in Uttar Pradesh and continue the process of development initiated by his government.

He asked his voters to raise their hands if they wanted him to continue in state politics. The people instantly responded by raising their hands and Yadav announced that he would now give up his Mainpuri seat.

Yadav had won the assembly by-election from Gunnaur assembly seat in January this year after being sworn in as chief minister in August last year. He had then resigned form his Sambhal parliamentary seat that has now been won by his cousin Prof Ram Gopal Yadav.

While the chief minister declared that he had decided to stay back in UP to complete the process of development started by his government, sources close to him said that since the Samajwadi Party leader found absolutely no role for himself in Delhi and his party too had been completely isolated – despite having a strength of 36 MPs – he had preferred to stay back in UP politics.

"The Samajwadi Party can never go with the NDA whereas the United Progressive Alliance has deliberately chosen to marginalise our importance; therefore, it is pointless for Mr Yadav to shift to national politics in the prevailing situation. In fact, it would be downright humiliating for him to face isolation in Delhi because the Congress believes it can survive without us. Therefore, it is wiser to remain at the helm of affairs in Lucknow and shift to Delhi only when conditions are more favourable", said a senior Samajwadi MP.

© The Asian Age