Feud within Mulayam Singh Yadav clan will help BJP in UP polls: Rita Bahuguna Joshi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said on 22 October that the feud within the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan will help the saffron party do well in the upcoming crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

"In the upcoming days SP would become even worse, which will only give benefit to BJP because people are looking for better prospects and banking on national parties. Among the national parties if you look at the Congress, it is losing its foothold in UP, however BJP is currently ruling and the Prime Minster has good image and we have well established Ministers in UP as well. That is why it is highly possible for BJP to form majority in the state," Joshi said.

Bahuguna also pointed out that the SP's policy to give tickets to goons has dampened Akhilesh's efforts to reform the party's image, and hence, the BJP would seek to capitalise on it.

The feud in the family came out in the open when SP supremo Mulayam Singh appointed his brother Shivpal as the state party chief.

Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended.

Mulayam Singh's silence on the prospects of Akhilesh being re-nominated as the party's face for chief minister has further added fuel to the fire.

However, Mulayam defended Shivpal and warned that the party would be in major trouble if Shivpal resigned. While in mid September, Akhilesh said at a function that he has rejected Shivpal's resignation and would comply with whatever his father directs.

--With ANI inputs