Accusing the Samajwadi Party of letting the people of Uttar Pradesh suffer by turning a deaf ear to their problems and focusing solely on 'family politics', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday asserted that in next year's assembly polls, the people of the state would vote decisively against the Yadav family.
"In Uttar Pradesh, it is becoming clear that the ruling family there is getting together consistently for the sake of power, and in this entire circumstance, the people of the state are suffering," BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI here.
Hitting out at Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for being least concerned about the common man in UP, Kohli added that law and order, and development, had gone for a toss in the state.
"I'm sure in the forthcoming elections, the people of UP will vote in a very decisive manner and specifically against the SP Govt," Kohli stated.
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said that Akhilesh Yadav's 'cycle', which is the Samajwadi Party's symbol, will not run in the state anymore as it is stuck.
Speaking to the media during his Kisan Yatra, Rahul said that Akhilesh was chosen by the electorate of the state and mostly young people, as they had lots of hope and expectations from him.
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"But when Akhilesh sat on the cycle, people starting pulling the brakes and pushing the handles, eventually puncturing the tyres and the cycle got stuck. Now, six months are left and it has been stuck for almost four years. I don't think the cycle will run anymore," he stated.
Meanwhile, the ongoing rift within the Yadav family appears to have ended with Akhilesh Yadav restoring two of the three portfolios to his uncle Shivpal Yadav, except the PWD department.
Shivpal will also continue as the Samajwadi Party state unit chief.
Akhilesh has kept the PWD department with himself and returned Shivpal his previous departments and a few others including medical, education and minor irrigation. In total, Shivpal would be looking after 13 departments, two more than what he used to look after earlier.
The announcements can be seen as per the compromise formula worked out by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who asserted that "There can be no division in the party, till I am alive."
In a move signalling attempts to bring some calm in the recent turbulence in the Samajwadi Party, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had last night announced that his uncle would get back all his previous ministerial portfolios.
Gayatri Prajapat, who was sacked as mines minister, would also be re-inducted into the cabinet and would soon be taking oath.
Shivpal had resigned on Friday night as a minister and as state party unit head.
"Netaji (Mulayam) has heard all of us. He will talk to some others if he wants and will take decision by tomorrow," Shivpal yesterday.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said at a function that he has rejected the resignation of Shivpal and he will comply with whatever his father directs.
"Netaji (Mulayam) will find a solution (to the current crisis) and everyone will accept it," he said.
Mulayam met Akhilesh and Shivpal at his Lucknow residence and reportedly brokered a peace deal between the two.
Akhilesh had earlier divested Shivpal of all important ministerial portfolios including PWD, irrigation, cooperative, flood control and revenue and handed him the social welfare department.
Prior to it, Shivpal had replaced him as the new chief of the state unit of the Samajwadi Party.
Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended and the postponement of Quami Ekta Dal's merger with the Samajwadi Party.
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