 "Akhilesh Yadav")
Against the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday told Governor Ram Naik the political situation in the state, which is heading for polls in early 2017.
Seen in the context of the slugfest in SP between factions led by Akhilesh and his uncle, Shivpal Singh Yadav, the chief minister’s move led to a lot of speculation.
On Wednesday morning, Shivpal, the SP state unit president, had expelled UP minister of state for forests Tej Narayan Pandey also known as Pawan Pandey from the party for six years, for allegedly assaulting party’s Ashu Malik at the chief minister’s residence on Monday.
Shivpal has also written to the chief minister seeking the sacking of Pandey from the council of ministers. Malik had lodged a first information report (FIR) against Pandey, who denied the charges, saying it was a conspiracy. Pandey said the CCTV footage of the chief minister’s residence and that of the media present at the venue could be investigated for proof of his innocence. Pandey is a member of the Akhilesh faction, while Malik has been supporting Shivpal and Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh’s father.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh called a meeting of youth leaders of the party at his official residence, while Shivpal stuck to his aides, including sacked ministers Om Prakash Singh and Narad Rai.
Akhilesh had unceremoniously sacked four ministers, the other being Shadab Fatima, on Sunday, which had plunged SP to greater crisis. He asked youth leaders to rally support for his proposed ‘Rath Yatra’ from November 3, ahead of the silver jubilee celebration of SP on November 5.
While Akhilesh has demanded the sacking of party general secretary Amar Singh, blaming him for triggering the current crisis, Mulayam and Shivpal have stood up for Amar Singh.
On Tuesday, Mulayam had said the party’s CM would be decided by the winning legislators after elections. However, Mulayam maintained Akhilesh would remain the CM for the remaining term even as he brushed aside suggestions he could concede to demands from some party quarters urging him to take over the reigns.
Akhilesh asked youth leaders to rally support for his proposed 'Rath Yatra' from November 3, ahead of the silver jubilee celebration of SP on November 5.
Although, top party leaders including Mulayam have time and again said there was no rift in party, there are no visible signs of peace.
While Team Akhilesh is demanding the sacking of party general secretary Amar Singh, blaming him for triggering the current crisis, Mulayam and Shivpal are firmly standing up for Singh. Unless this contentious issue is resolved, any common ground is unlikely to be struck by rival factions.
On Tuesday, Mulayam had said the party's CM would be decided by the winning legislators after elections. Replying to a media question, he said all political parties followed democratic process to elect their leader after polls and SP would do the same.
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However, Mulayam maintained Akhilesh would remain the CM for the remaining term even as he brushed aside suggestions he could concede to demands from some party quarters urging him to take over the reigns.
Mulayam claimed the people had given votes to SP on his name during the 2012 UP polls, however, he decided to anoint Akhilesh as the CM. He also stressed the 'party, family and cadres' remained united.
On sacked UP ministers, including Shivpal, he said it was for the CM to take the call for any reinstatement. He further noted some conspirators, with no support base, had been targetting Amar Singh for no reason. On Sunday, SP had sacked party general secretary and his cousin Ramgopal Yadav for opposing Amar Singh and writing terse letters to Mulayam supporting Akhilesh.
However, Mulayam has maintained Amar Singh would remain in SP and that he had helped him at crucial junctures and saved him from going to jail.
SP's meeting of party leaders and legislators here on Monday had witnessed unruly scenes and heckling publicly even as Mulayam sat at the dais.
