Mulayam renominates Jaya Bachchan to Rajya Sabha

Lucknow, May 26 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has pushed actress-politician Jaya Bachchan for another term in the Rajya Sabha, a controversial move that is likely to further alienate his one-time close aide Amar Singh.

The announcement of Bachchan's nomination was made Wednesday by Mulayam Singh's son and Uttar Pradesh's SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The SP has also nominated Rasheed Masood for the upper house of parliament.

'The Samajwadi Party parliamentary board had finalised the names of Jaya Bachchan and Rasheed Masood for nomination to the Rajya Sabha,' Akhilesh Yadav stated in a statement issued here.

Bachchan is the wife of mega star Amitabh Bachchan, whose proximity with the former SP leader Amar Singh is well known. Amar Singh has often stated that the Bachchans are like family to him; Jaya Bachchan too had supported him in the days before he finally exited the SP before distancing herself later.

Amar Singh had said: 'Jaya Bachchan is free to choose the way she likes even though she remains like family to me.'