Days after Samajwadi Party (SP) veteran Shivpal Singh Yadav floated a separate outfit and offered a Lok Sabha poll ticket to elder brother and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, the latter on Sunday shared stage with SP president Akhilesh Yadav and asked party workers to ensure victory of SP candidates in the general election so that the party holds key to government formation at the Centre.

Mulayam was speaking at an event in Jantar Mantar organised by SP’s youth workers to mark completion of cycle yatras taken out by partymen from eastern and western UP. Speaking on the occasion, Akhilesh thanked his father for his blessings and assured to follow his directives.

Shivpal recently floated the Samajwadi Secular Morcha and announced to field candidates from all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. He also offered a Lok Sabha ticket to Mulayam from Mainpuri and claimed that he formed the outfit with the SP patriarch’s blessings.

Against this backdrop, Mulayam sharing stage with Akhilesh and SP principal general secretary Ramgopal Yadav comes as a setback for Shivpal.

In his address, Mulayam asked party workers to promise him that they will ensure that SP returns to power in Uttar Pradesh and becomes part of the government at the Centre.

The Azamgarh MP said, “Aasha karta hoon aage sarkar banayenge… Soobon me bhi aur Delhi me sarkar bane to aisi taqat de do ki jisse aapke samarthan ke bina na bane… aisa do baar ho chuka hai ki Delhi me bhi Samajwadi Party ne samarthan diya tha to sarkar bani. Isliye koshish karna aur Samajwadi Party ke ummeedwaron ko jitana (I hope we will form the government in future, in the states and also get such numbers that the government in Delhi cannot be formed without SP’s support. This has happened twice in the past… Hence, make efforts for win of SP candidates).”

While Shivpal has been approaching the veterans of SP to strengthen his front, Mulayam appeared to be in favour of young blood in the party. “I am very happy that the youth have come here in such a large number. Hamari party jawan rahegi, jawanon ke haath me hogi (Our party will stay young. in the hands of the young),” he said.

The SP patriarch targeted the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh and accused leaders of the ruling party of corruption and land grabbing.

Akhilesh thanked Mulayam for attending the programme and said, “No one can imagine the energy we have got with the arrival of Netaji (Mulayam). We are ready to follow everything he has said.”

Accusing the BJP government in UP of being casteist, the SP chief alleged that patients were being treated in hospitals after asking their caste.