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Nothing dynastic, people want me, Tej Pratap Yadav says

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s grand-nephew Tej Pratap at Parliament. (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: It is being talked about as the merger before the merger.Days after the announcement that Mulayam Singh Yadav ’s Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad ’s RJD may come together in a new incarnation of Janata Dal, it is learnt that the two Yadav pashas may end up in a closer clinch through matrimony.It is learnt that the Samajwadi Party chief’s grand-nephew Tej Pratap will soon tie the knot with Lalu Prasad’s youngest daughter Raj Lakshmi. Tej Pratap has just entered Lok Sabha from the family stronghold of Mainpuri after Mulayam vacated the seat. The engagement may be in mid-December with a lavish wedding being planned for February.The coming together of the Yadav chieftains in kinship would erase biter memories of how they sparred and manoeuvred during the 1990s for leadership of the Mandal classes.Mulayam has publicly regretted that Lalu vetoed his name for prime ministership in the United Front government in 1997. The Samajwadi had seemed set to take over as PM after Congress forced H D Deve Gowda out until Lalu, at the peak of his glory then, put his foot down, leading to rethink which saw I K Gujral emerge as the collateral beneficiary.As the news trickled out, the political class wagged jestfully if the marriage was the prelude to the mega merger that the Janata Dal breakaways are planning. The Samajwadis called it “good news” that “netaji” was relishing.Not that this is the first time Lalu and Mulayam are said to be turning friendship into relationship. The possibility was the subject of tenacious gossip during 1990-2000 but never came to pass. Only this time it may be for real.The Yadav duo ruled the post-Mandal “secular” politics, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that account for a huge chunk of Lok Sabha seats as their fief. While Mulayam remained a constant claimant for the Lucknow throne, Lalu set a record of sorts with three terms in Bihar.The times have changed though. While SP is still in power in Lucknow with a brute majority, Lalu is a pale shadow of his past self, relegated to being a middleweight player in Patna who is also barred from contesting elections because of conviction in a fodder scam case. However, the fact that he continues to have command over a significant section of the electorate in his state, will ensure that he stays in play.