Akhilesh Yadav is now 'chhote Netaji', says Shivpal ahead of Mainpuri bypoll

"Akhilesh and I now stand together and there should be no confusion about this. I have accepted him as my leader," Mulayam Singh Yadav`s younger brother Shivpal said.

Mainpuri: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has now formally been conferred the legacy of late SP founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav, popularly known as `Netaji`. Mulayam Singh`s younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, on Wednesday, said at an election meeting that Akhilesh should henceforth be referred to as `chhote Netaji`.

"I want people to refer to Akhilesh as `chhote Netaji`. Akhilesh and I now stand together and there should be no confusion about this. I have accepted him as my leader," he said.

Shivpal Yadav`s statement is a major development since he was always seen as a threat to Akhilesh`s supremacy in the party and it was this that drove a wedge between them, causing a vertical split.

Shivpal and Akhilesh ironed out their differences after the demise of Mulayam Singh last month and both the leaders have been working together to ensure the victory of SP candidate Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri, the seat that was earlier held by Mulayam Singh.