He was flanked by sacked Mining Minister Gayatri Prajapati and son Aditya Yadav, who has also resigned as Pradesh Cooperative Federation chairman in support of his father. His approval would ensure that the succession would be smooth, he seconded the proposal after which Akhilesh was sworn in as UP’s youngest chief minister.
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Singhal, considered close to minister Shivpal Yadav, was shown the door barely two months after he took charge.
Taking dig at his nephew Akhilesh, with whom he has a running battle, Shivpal said, “All can not be like Mulayam Singh Yadav and all can not be like Akhilesh Yadav”.
“Netaji has chose to appoint me as the party’s state unit chief”.
Pledging his allegiance for Samajwadi Party supremeo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his borther Shivpal Yadav on Friday said that “Netaji’s message is command for him”.
Mulayam’s silence on return of Shivpal Yadav to the state cabinet is however being interpreted in political circles with many views.
Samajwadi Party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who met Akhilesh in Lucknow said the leadership had committed an unintentional “mistake” by removing Akhilesh as party’s UP president.
“Every body respects Netaji and his words will be final and acceptable to all, ” the Chief Minister added.
Earlier in the day Shivpal had ruled out quitting the ministry and said it was immaterial which posts he held as a minister.
The high-voltage drama in Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajawdi Party came to its logical end with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday rejecting his uncle Shivpal’s resignation from the state government and party chief Mulayam batting for unity in family.
Shivpal’s supporters greeted him with cheering slogans and also raised slogans of “Ram Gopal ko bahar karo (throw out Ram Gopal Yadav)”.
Amid the opposition to the manner of his appointment as state unit chief, he said, “I was state president in 2011 and now netaji (Mulayam) has once again given me this responsibility”. However, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh refused to accept that it might be him that the chief minister hinted at. If everyone becomes intelligent, all of them will be CM or netaji. Amar Singh, has however, denied his role in the controversy, saying Akhilesh was like a “son” to him.
Asked if the power struggle in the family could be contained by reinstating all portfolios held by Shivpal to him again, Ram Gopal answered in the negative and said that a minister was a minister and that departments were of no effect. The two later came out to greet Shivpal’s supporters.
“We have a big family, differences may occur…” He also said that if people from outside the family keep interfering how will things (government) work.
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Apparently referring to Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh, who had recently hosted a dinner in Delhi where Deepak Singhal, who was shunted from post of Chief Secretary, was present, Akhilesh asked if “outsiders” interfere, how would the party would function.
