Mulayam, Akhilesh meet N D Tiwari in Lucknow

Amid speculation that the Samajwadi Party is trying to woo former Uttarakhand Chief Minister N D Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh on Saturday met the veteran Congress leader in Lucknow.

Terming the visit by the SP leaders as a "non-political" one, 87-year-old Tiwari said they were like his family members as he has very old ties with them.

"Everything should not be associated with politics. This meeting is not a political one. Akhilesh is like my nephew and I hope he will do good work and there would be development and change in Uttar Pradesh under his leadership," the former Uttarakhand chief minister told reporters.

Tiwari, who is on a visit to Lucknow, was flanked by SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh.

The overtures of Samajwadi Party to Congress veteran N D Tiwari, who holds a clout among electorate in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, ahead of 2014 general elections has given rise to speculation of growing proximity between the former chief minister with the party.

Ever since Mulayam extended an invitation to Tiwari to stay in Lucknow earlier this month, political circles in Uttarakhand have been rife with speculation about the growing proximity between the Congress veteran and the Samajwadi Party.

When asked on his viewpoint on FDI in multi-brand retail, Tiwari said he was personally in favour of FDI but could not force anyone to accept his view.

"People and parties can have different viewpoint on FDI. As per my personal views, I feel that it would be beneficial but I cannot force it on anyone," he said.