The hunt for an heir: Will Shivpal and Akhilesh Yadav work as one party?

Now, the absence of Mulayam from the SP firmament will test the political and electoral acumen of Akhilesh

The death of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav last week and the crowds that congregated to pay their last respects to the leader reaffirmed the political clout and the people connect the former defence minister wielded in the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh.

As the Yadav clan observes the customary period of mourning in the native Saifai village (Etawah district), questions are already being raised over the course that the 30-year-old party would take in the months to come.

Although Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam’s son, is firmly in saddle as SP national president, the party has been facing rough weather ever