Akhilesh declared SP chief at national convention

Ramgopal also proposed that party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav be the "marg darshak" of the party

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was declared the Samajwadi Party's (SP's) national working president in a resolution passed by party Secretary General Ram Gopal Yadav at the national executive meet in Lucknow on Sunday, reported news agency ANI.  

Speaking to the gathering of party activits and legislators who support Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister's uncle and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's cousin, Ram Gopal Yadav, said that the national executive also wanted Shivpal Yadav to be removed as the party's state president and that Amar Singh should be sacked from the party. He also said that Mulayam Singh Yadav should take on the role of the senior mentor, or "marg darshak", of the party.

These resolutions were met with applause from the gathering.  

Ahead of the convention, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday had sent a letter to party workers asking them not to attend the national executive meet.

"The meet called by Ramgopal is against the constitution of the party. It is against the discipline of the party and has been organised to harm the image of the party. Hence, one should not attend this meet," Mulayam Singh Yadav wrote in his letter. 

Shortly after Ram Gopal Yadav's announcements, Akhilesh Yadav said that as the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, it was his duty and responsibility to ensure that any conspiracy against the latter is squashed and he would firmly take up such a challenge should it arise.

The chief minister also declared that he continued to respect "Netaji" – as Mulayam Singh Yadav is widely known – but spoke harshly against Shivpal Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav, he thundered, had been working against the interests of the party.

"I am ready to sacrifice everything for Samajwadi Party," Akhilesh Yadav said. To another roar from the gathering, he also thanked everyone who stood by him in the ugly war within the state's first family.

This development comes after the show of force by Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday, when over 200 of the 229 legislators of the SP attended a meeting called by the chief minister in Lucknow. A couple of kilometres away, only 20 legislators attended the meeting called by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The writing was on the wall for Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav. Not just the party rank and file, its legislators but also such leaders as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad extended their support to Akhilesh Yadav.