gfiles magazine

November 9, 2016

The great Samajwadi soap opera

The clash of interests in Uttar Pradesh’s Samajwadi family isn’t due to ideological differences. Like in a normal, extended joint family, the clash is for the control of cash. Over the past many years, before the arrival of Akhilesh Yadav in politics, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal built up a system of clientele. Politics for them, like all politicians of every hue and colour, was meant for generating resources through patronage and protection. The resources thus generated were ploughed back into party politics to keep them ahead of their political rivals like the BSP and BJP.

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