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Adding to the drama, spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party Juhi Singh resigned late on Friday to protest the removal of Akhilesh Yadav from the party.
Soon after Akhilesh was expelled for six years from the party, BJP questioned Mulayam and said that Mulayam Singh should now answer as to why he "betrayed" the state by imposing his son after 2012 polls.
Another prominent face for the BJP government in UP, Yogi Adityanath asked for the resignation of the chief minister saying that Akhilesh should resign immediately on moral grounds.
Toughening its stand against the expelled duo of Ram Gopal and Akhilesh, the Samajwadi Party on Friday warned members and leaders of the party to stay away from the "emergency national convention" called by the former.
In a letter to party leaders, the party's Uttar Pradesh chief Shivpal Singh Yadav said the convention was unconstitutional and that they should not travel to the state capital for it or sign any papers with regard to it. He went on to state that anyone from the party who would be participating in the meeting will be considered as working against the party and will face action.
Soon after Akhilesh was on Friday expelled from the Samajwadi Party, a group of his supporters gathered outside his 5, Kalidas Marg, residence here and raised slogans.
Accusing Mulayam Singh of doing "injustice" by expelling Akhilesh and his (Mulayam's) cousin Ram Gopal, which was announced at a hurriedly convened presser in the state capital by the former Defence Minister, the supporters waved banners and posters with pictures of the Chief Minister.
Using strong language, Mulayam Singh hit out at the Akhilesh camp, adding that the CM is using government machinery to sabotage the party.
Expelled Samajwadi Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on Thursday dubbed the action against him "unconstitutional" as it was taken unilaterally.
"The action taken against me is unconstitutional. He (party President Mulayam Singh Yadav) acted even before we could respond to the showcause notice," he told the media, soon after he and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav were expelled from the party for six years by Mulayam Singh.
Ram Gopal Yadav also said that calling a meeting of the National Convention by him was as per the party constitution and was inevitable as some of the people at the top "had been indulging in unconstitutional work".
"If party President indulges in unconstitutional acts, then we are left with no option but to call the National Council meeting. I have called the National Council meeting against the unconstitutional activities of the top leaders on demand of the party delegates.
"All the activities undertaken by the top leadership were unconstitutional, including ticket distribution. When President of the party works unconstitutionally, I have all the right as General Secretary of the party to call the meeting," he added.
He also urged party members to attend the convention called by him on 1 January .
Making his stance clear, the Samajwadi supremo said that it will be him and no one else who decides the Chief Ministerial face for the party. He further added:
In a tough action, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as well as general secretary Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years for "gross indiscipline", a decision that will lead to a political crisis in Uttar Pradesh.
Making the announcement at a press conference here, Mulayam said the new Chief Minister will be chosen by the Samajwadi Party.
Flanked by brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, Mulayam said he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ramgopal to save the party which he said he had built through hard efforts.
Mulayam Singh Yadav calls a press conference in Lucknow right after he issued a showcause notice to Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav.
In a surprising move, he suspends both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal from the party for six years for indiscipline.
He further adds that Akhilesh is ending his political career by siding with Ram Gopal.
In a move that is sure to widen the rift within the Samajwadi Party, and bring it closer to the brink of splitting, Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday issued a statement calling for an emergency national executive meet of the party on 1 January. He urged the party members to join the meet in the party's favour.
Reacting to the open defiance of his orders, the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has issued show-cause notice to the Uttar Pradesh CM and the party’s general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav for issuing a new list of 235 members on Thursday.
In what looks to be a tit-for-tat move, Akhilesh Yadav has called for a meeting with supporters on 1 January at his residence.
Amid contradictory stand of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh on forging an alliance with Congress in Uttar Pradesh, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the possibility could not be ruled out.
Speaking to the media, close aide of UP CM Ram Gopal Yadav said on Friday that a truce between the two warring factions within the Samajwadi Party looks difficult after the infighting took an ugly turn on Thursday. Speaking to the media he said:
With SP facing a rebellion from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over ticket distribution, its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting of all the candidates allotted tickets amid hectic efforts to stave off a possible split in the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.
News emerged on Friday that Mulayam Singh has called for a meeting of all UP Assembly elections candidates on 31 December at party office in Lucknow.
A core group meeting of the party leaders will be held at the CM’s residence on Kalidas Marg on Friday.
SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav reaches Mulayam Singh’s residence for a meeting.
Calling the feud “unfortunate,” senior SP leader Azam Khan said that it makes him “upset”.
It is important for the senior party leaders to resolve their differences and “protect the party and socialism,” Khan told News18. The debate over the next Chief Minister should not be the priority right now, Khan said.
He also hinted at a conspiracy at work.
Akhilesh Yadav upped the ante on Thursday evening after his father Mulayam Singh Yadav recently snubbed him during the announcement of candidates ahead of the Assembly elections.
A detailed meeting was held at Mulayam’s residence on Thursday, where Akhilesh reportedly also conveyed the grievances of the left-out party members. It seems not much was resolved, because Akhilesh then released his own listicle of candidates.
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