Mulayam hints at going soft

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Monday that he hasn’t changed a bit in the past several years. His ideology ha...

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Monday that he hasn’t changed a bit in the past several years. His ideology has remained the same, only the outlook of others towards him has changed.

Addressing his first public meeting at Christian Inter College grounds in Mainpuri after taking over as CM, Mulayam urged his supporters to maintain restraint in the initial few months of the government as a coalition government has to work on a combined agenda. The ethics of the coalition will have to be followed if the government is to last for the entire period of three years, he said.

Mulayam made it clear the Samajwadi Party has not come to power to settle old grudges with former CM Mayawati, sending out a message of restraint to more than 1.5 lakh supporters. SP workers from Mainpuri presented Rs 36 lakh to Mulayam for party funds.

The CM said his government has received the support of all parties in the state, apart from the BSP and the confidence expressed in him by these parties shall be maintained at all costs. He claimed the Mayawati government had tried twice to charge him, Amar Singh and Akhilesh Yadav under POTA, by linking them to Kashmiri separatist groups. He said the BJP knew of the conspiracy and a Union Minister had confirmed having information about it. He said though the state is undergoing a major power crisis, his government shall ensure that farmers get power for at least 14 hours. Electricity dues shall be recovered first from the big defaulters, who have not paid several crores. Farmers shall not be disturbed till the entire defaulters list has been exhausted, he said.

Assuring his supporters about the his government’s stability, Mulayam said the government shall last its entire duration of three years. He said that he hasn’t expanded his Cabinet as the government has not yet gained the Assembly’s confidence, which shall be proved in the confidence vote to be held soon.

SP general secretary Amar Singh said Mulayam Singh has been gifted a ‘‘crown of thorns’’ in the form of the UP government, with the previous government looting the treasury. Comparing Mulayam Singh’s eight years in the opposition to Lord Ram’s 14-year exile, Amar Singh said when Lord Ram returned from exile people of Ayodhya celebrated. Now with Mulayam’s return to power, the entire state is ecstatic.

Amar Singh said the CM has been given an enormous responsibility of stabilising the economy and the state, therefore the expectations of the people will have to wait. He said the state government has no intention to hold further grudges against Mayawati as she has been removed from power.

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Amar Singh said the support Mulayam has received from the people of the state, is a rare and not many CMs are fortunate enough to receive such support over and above party lines.