Lucknow: Former Samajwadi Party MP, who was on Tuesday nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat, today thanked the party supremo for nominating his name for the post.
"I have been, always, claiming that I am a Mulayamwadi, I am not a Samajwadi. Giving me a Rajya Sabha seat is the expression of Mulayam ji’s affection for me. I am, truly, moved by it," Singh was quoted saying by Indian Express.
On Tuesday, the Samajwadi Party had announced the names of seven party candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for next month.
The meeting was attended by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, senior ministers Shivpal Yadav and Mohammad Azam Khan, special invitee chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Kiranmoy Nanda.
Amar Singh was expelled from the party in February 2010 following a long-standing feud within the party over his flashy lifestyle and hobnobbing with celebrities. But the 60-year-old was considered a fund-raising powerhouse known for his close ties to Bollywood stars and industrialists.
Singh's nomination for Rajya Sabha by the Samajwadi Party has somewhere hinted at the return of the erstwhile influential leader, a year before the Assmebly election is scheduled to be held in Uttar Pradesh.
Besides Amar Singh, the other nominees are Beni Prasad Verma, Sanjay Seth, Sukhram Yadav, Vishambhar Prasad Nishad, Arvind Singh and Revti Raman Singh.
Amar Singh's arch-rival and known critic Azam Khan expressed disappointment over the Samajwadi Party's decision to nominate the expelled leader to the Rajya Sabha and infact, termed the whole incident as unfortunate.
"As far as I think, this whole incident of nomination of Amar Singh to Rajya Sabha is unfortunate," Azam Khan said. However, adding further he said that he cannot contest Mulayam Singh's decision as he is the party chief.
"Mulayam Singh is the party chief and to challenge his decision is beyond my rights," Khan added.
The Rajya Sabha elections is scheduled for next month.
