The Samajwadi Party has chosen the Mahakumbh to project its founder, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, as a saint.

A wing of the party has installed his statue in the mela area and his followers are worshipping it every day.

The statue, around 3ft tall, was installed on Saturday at the camp in Sector 16 set up by the Mulayam Singh Yadav Smriti Seva Sansthan. It was unveiled by the leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, on Monday.

The Mulayam Singh Yadav Smriti Seva Sansthan is an organisation dedicated to promoting the late SP leader’s legacy.

“Mulayam was a holy soul, a true saint and deserves prominent space at the Mahakumbh,” Pandey said while unveiling the statue.

Abhishek Yadav, a worshipper standing in front of the statue, said Mulayam was a saint.

“We have installed his statue in a mela camp along the akharas and are worshipping our saint. He was a real spiritual person because whosoever he blessed became successful. We will set up our own Sri Mulayam Akhara with its main seat in Etawah,” Abhishek said.

Sunil Singh Yadav, an SP leader, said: “A large number of people consider Mulayam as a great seer. We all worship him.”

The akharas in India are recognised and governed by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad.

Former Akhara Parishad president Narendra Giri was considered close to Mulayam and his son and SP president Akhilesh Yadav. Giri was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his room at the Baghambari Math in Allahabad in December 2021.