Here's the deal: Now Akhilesh wants to be a full CM and his father half a PM

QUICK PILL

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav wants his father to become the Prime Minister of the country in 2019 and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to serve as his deputy.

• As preposterous as the statement seems, it is a clear indication of how ambitious regional satraps have become after the Grand Alliance\'s win in Bihar.

• However, Mulayam\'s moving to Delhi or focusing on national politics also stands to benefit Akhilesh Yadav. Read on to find out how...

Left to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's whims and fancies, India's next Prime Minister would be his father and Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Obviously, unlike many other chief ministers who harbour dreams of gracing the PM's chair, Akhilesh would rather be the devoted son and see his father occupying the plum post.

Plus, he sees Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Vice President, as the deputy prime minister.

His wish list was made public by him at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit today, when asked about his party being a part of a Bihar like grand alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Here's what he said:

"If Mulayam Singhji is Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi is Deputy Prime Minister, I will say yes to the alliance right now."

Always in his father's shadows

When Akhilesh Yadav became the Chief Minister in 2012 after the SP outmaneuvered Mayawati's BSP from power, critics predicted that he would only be half a CM as the actual reins of the party and the government would still rest with party chief Mulayam Singh.

The numerous times he was publicly hauled up by his father during his three years as CM only proved the point. His frequent run ins with party seniors like Azam Khan and his father's overt support to the latter left little to the imagination about who the real "Netaji" was.

From Mann se Mulayam to Sri Ganesh Akhilesh

But things are set to change in Uttar Pradesh. With the crucial UP elections in 2017 and BJP doing phenomenally well in the state during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the SP is leaving nothing to chance and is already in campaign mode.

The party's latest campaign jingle is proof that Akhilesh might just come out of his father's shadow and embrace the role of leading the party and the government with more authority. "Mann se Mulayam" has made way for "Tarakki ka shubhaarambh, pragati ka Shri Ganesh. Akhilesh Akhilesh''. As far as the slogan goes, it is clear that the plank is development and the architect will be Akhilesh.

Watch the video here:

Then what will be Mulayam's role?

If one were to look into the many ramifications of Akhilesh's statement, it means that if reelected, he gets to rule UP with a free hand. But it also means that his father will 'shift' from Lucknow to Delhi.

Grand Alliance -- the crisis of too many faces

Mulayam's dream of becoming the Prime Minister was never hidden. The Grand Alliance's win in Bihar and a call for the formation of a similar alliance for 2019 only emboldens his desires.

As Akhilesh has made it very clear, in case all regional satraps unite against the BJP and form a Mahagathbandhan like alliance in 2019, Mulayam Singh will settle for nothing less than the Prime Minister' seat, forcing a Gandhi, for the first time in history, to play second fiddle.

This scenario will be completely unacceptable for the Congress, which has always considered Rahul Gandhi a soon-to-be Prime Minister.

Further, Nitish Kumar's convincing win in Bihar and Lalu Prasad Yadav's spectacular comeback in politics also makes them possible leaders behind whom non-BJP parties could rally.

Read More: Poll forecast spot on. Surjit Bhalla says the verdict start of Campaign 2019