A week after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh’s resignation from all party posts was accepted by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Singh criticised Mulayam while spelling out the three political options before himself.

He also indicated that he would take up the cause of the Rajputs, who he believes have been marginalised in Indian politics.

In an interview in Lucknow on Saturday, Singh said one of the options before him is to have a “graceful coordination with the Congress”. Another is a “return to the SP on an equal footing” and the third option is to float his own political party.

Singh, who has not quit primary membership of the SP, said there was “very little possibility” of a patch-up with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

“I hold Mulayam in high esteem. But when (his cousin) Ram Gopal Yadav abuses me publicly, he remains silent. I

cannot tolerate this. If there has to be an apology, then it has to be public and not in a closed room.

“Today, after the death of Janeshwar Mishra and exit of other leaders from the party, Mulayam is left with Yadavs and only Yadavs — that too, all belonging to his family,” Singh said.

On Rajputs, he said the community is in a “political wilderness and they want a leader who could fight for their political rights. So is the case with the Most Backward Classes, who are feeling let down after the manner in which Mulayam behaved with Beni Prasad Verma and Kalyan Singh.

For the time being, Singh said, “I am not in a hurry as I am preparing for the 2012 assembly elections in UP.”

“I am a known retaliator and I believe in giving an immediate reply,” he said, admitting that his personality is his biggest enemy.

He also said he was following socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra’s advice to him at their last meeting.

“I am taking care of my health and I am in direct contact with socialist leaders such as like Raghu Thakur, Madhukar Dighe, Shatrudh Prakash, Ravi Ray and plan to meet George Fernandes soon.”

On his meeting with senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, Singh said Congress president Sonia Gandhi knew about the meeting. “The media started speculating just because it lasted long,” he said.

On the possibility of his joining the Nationalist Congress Party, Singh said, “Those with me in Mumbai may also desire so because of their instant political adjustment in a party. But I am still undecided.”.

For the present, he said, “As of now I am a worker of the Samajwadi Party. But I have decided to attend all the conventions of All India Kshatriya Mahasabha, of which I am the patron. Look at the political parties in UP — Yadavs are the base of the Samajwadi Party, Dalits of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kurmis of the Apna Dal.”