SP Feud: Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh Visit EC’s Office
Replacing father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav was appointed as Samajwadi Party’s national president.
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- Akhilesh and Mulayam Singh Yadav take fight over party’s ‘cycle’ symbol to Election Commission’s office in Delhi
- Mulayam postpones Samajwadi Party convention that was to be held on 5 January
- Naresh Uttam appointed chief of Samajwadi Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit
- Ram Gopal Yadav, two other leaders expelled from the party by Mulayam Singh Yadav
- Mulayam calls meet “unconstitutional”
- Akhilesh Yadav unanimously elected SP’s national president
- National executive calls for removing Shivpal Yadav as state president and sacking Amar Singh
The ugly battle raged on Monday in Uttar Pradeshs ruling Samajwadi Party with party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav approaching the Election Commission to secure his right over its election symbol "cycle".
A day after being dethroned as the Samajwadi Party national president by his warring son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh insisted the party belonged to him and declared the action against him unconstitutional.
Accompanied by his brother Shivpal Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and actress-turned politician Jaya Prada, Mulayam Singh met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in the national capital.
Meanwhile, Mulayam confidant Amar Singh appeared unfazed by his "expulsion" from the party by Akhilesh Yadav and insisted his allegiance to Mulayam Singh.
"I was with Mulayam and will remain with him. My association with him made me a hero and if needed I can become a villian also," he said.
Mulayam, Amar Singh Visit EC’s Office
Mulayam Singh Yadav, along with Amar Singh and Jaya Prada meet Election Commission’s officials.
While Ram Gopal Yadav’s meeting with the Election Commission of India has been fixed for 11:30 am on Tuesday.
Party Symbol Faces Threat of Being Frozen
The Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ symbol faces the threat of being frozen if rival factions stake claim on it in the coming days.
“The symbol will probably be frozen and both factions (led by Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav) will be given ad hoc names and symbols,” says former Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi.
Mulayam is Still Party Chief: Shivpal Yadav
Talking to reporters after returning from London, Amar says, “I was and will remain with Mulayam Singh Yadav. I was a hero. But I am ready to become a khalnayak (villain) for him”.
Akhilesh, Mulayam Approach EC
According to sources, both factions of the party – one headed by patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and other by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav – are likely to tell the ECI that they are ‘the actual SP and furnish evidence supporting their claims’.
Commenting on the same, Mulayam says that the election symbol is his signature, implying that this will not be an easy fight.
Akhilesh, on the other hand, says: “Sometimes to protect the ones you love, you must make the right decision. What I did today was a tough call but one which I had to take”.
Akhilesh Calls For a Meeting With MLAs
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is set to meet Samajwadi Party MLAs at 11 am.
Mulayam Postpones 5 January Meet, Leaves For Delhi
Shivpal Yadav informs that the national convention called by Mulayam Singh Yadav on 5 January has been postponed.
The party supremo is also all set to leave for Delhi shortly. Talking to the media, he asserts that he is perfectly well.
Doctors Reach Mulayam’s Residence
Doctors reach Mulayam Singh’s residence after he complained of high blood pressure late on Sunday evening. Expelled UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav also arrives at Mulayam’s house.
Shivpal Hosts Dinner Party
Ousted SP UP chief Shivpal Yadav hosts dinner at his Lucknow residence. He was seen crooning a popular Hindi track ‘Kasmein waade pyaar wafaa sab baatein hai, baaton ka kya.’
Naresh Uttam Appointed UP SP Chief
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav removes Shivpal Singh Yadav as the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit chief and appointed MLC Naresh Uttam in his place.
Uttam voices his support for Chief Minster Akhilesh Yadav. Reacting to Shivpal Yadav’s expulsion as the UP SP Chief , Uttam says, “Everybody has a place in this party, those who believe in the policies of the party.”
Uttam says that with the blessings of Mulayam Singh Yadav, his goal is to ensure a victory for the SP in the coming polls, and to make Akhilesh Yadav the Chief Minister for another term.
This ‘Dangal’ will Bring ‘Mangal’ for BJP: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Reacting to this political tussle, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says this feud will only aid the BJP in the upcoming UP elections: “This dangal will make BJP mangal.”
He adds that all that the people want are answers from the Akhilesh Yadav-led government on the work they have done in the last five years on the counts of corruption, crime and misgovernance.
Union Minister Vankaiah Naidu takes a dig at Samajwadi Party family conflict and calls it a family drama.
“It is a drama, a family drama. At times it is comedy, sometimes it is melody, but it will end in tragedy,” he says.
Expelled Leaders Speak Out
Naresh Agarwal, who has been removed from the party, addresses the media and says:
“Whoever is trying to malign the party's image is helping BJP in UP. Shivpal and Amar Singh have hijacked Netaji and his mind.” Calling his expulsion “unconstitutional”, Agarwal further goes on to say that Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh are misleading Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Also speaking to the media after getting expelled is party vice president Kiranmoy Nanda.
“Jiska koi haisiyat nahi hai vo kya kisi ko nikalenge? Kuch log Netaji ko confuse karte hain (Somebody who does not have any respect cannot expel anybody. People mislead Mulayam Singh Yadav.)”
Uproar Outside SP Office, Shivpal Meets Party Workers
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s supporters create a ruckus outside the Samajwadi Party's office in Lucknow, removing his uncle Shivpal Yadav’s nameplate from the party office.
A few hours after his six-year expulsion from the party, Ram Gopal Yadav met with the party workers at his residence in Saifai.
Decision to Elect Akhilesh Chief Is Illegal: Mulayam
Mulayam Singh Yadav says that the national executive’s decision to elect son Akhilesh Yadav as party chief is “illegal”. He also calls the meet “unconstitutional”.
After expelling Ram Gopal Yadav from the party, he also says:
“Some people want to benefit the BJP by insulting me and the same people called today's meet.” He also calls for a Samajwadi Party convention on 5 January.
Ram Gopal Yadav Expelled From Party, Again
The war in Samajwadi Party is far from over with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years.
This is the second time in a span of two days that Ram Gopal has been expelled from the party.
‘I’m Netaji’s Son, Nobody Can Hurt Our Relationship’: Akhilesh
After being proposed as the national president of the party, Akhilesh Yadav says that his respect for his father is stronger than ever and that he would stand against those conspiring against the party.
Talking to party workers at the meet, Akhilesh concedes that party supremo, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav continues to hold the highest position in the party. “If Netaji had asked me to step down from the post of state president, I would have done that,” he asserts.
He also asserts that the party will win the upcoming UP election and that the victory will make “Netaji the happiest”.
Akhilesh Announced SP Party President
Talking at the meet, Ram Gopal Yadav says that the national executive has made three important resolutions:
- It has unanimously elected Akhilesh Yadav as the national president of the party.
- The executive wants Shivpal Yadav to be removed as state president.
- It also wants that Amar Singh be sacked from the party.
The decision, however, is controversial as Mulayam and Shivpal were not present at the meeting, but soon after, Mulayam Singh termed the decision unconstitutional.
SP Meet Begins
A national executive meet of the Samajwadi Party is currently underway in Lucknow.
Talking at the same, Ram Gopal Yadav asserts that State President “Shivpal Yadav has been taking wrong decisions in the name of Netaji (Mulayama Singh Yadav)”
This meet comes a day after Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav were taken back into the Samajwadi Party after being expelled for six years.
Mulayam Asks Party Workers to Skip Meet
Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday wrote a letter to all party workers discouraging them from attending the attend national executive meet called by party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav.
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Published: 01 Jan 2017,11:41 AM IST