The truce brokered between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav turned out to be short-lived, as supporters of both leaders came out on the streets on Saturday again.
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This is despite the former calling on his uncle on Saturday to formally congratulate him on being made the state party chief, with a 40-minute tea meet thrown in and a press conference to showcase party unity.
Angry at the supporters of Akhilesh Yadav for nearly laying siege to his house, Mulayam Singh is reported to have rung up the chief minister and asked him to tell his supporters to retreat immediately.
“There can’t be a rift in the party”, Mulayam said. His remarks came a day after he said he felt “very sad” when he was replaced with Shivpal as the State party President by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday demanded the “power to distribute party tickets” in the forthcoming assembly elections. Hours after the decision, Akhilesh took away key portfolios from Shivpal.
As party workers raised slogans in favour of Shivpal Singh yadav, the SP chief shouted them down and said they should remain quiet as he was speaking. “However, due to one person (Lalu Prasad), I was not able to become the PM but now that person is my samdhi”, Mulayam went ahead to explain. “We have a great organisation”, he said.
Attacking BJP, Mayawati said the party’s silence on the lawlessness prevailing in the state was shocking.
Not only frontal unit of SP but youth brigade is also on road in favor of Akhilesh Yadav.
“Shivpal ji has brought up Akhilesh Yadav as his son, would pedal for miles to take him to school as netaji was busy with politics”. If Akhilesh is unhappy with Shivpal because of this (appointment of the latter as theSP state chief+ ), he should remember that people have accepted him as CM because he is my son.
And even as Akhilesh Yadav said publicly that he wanted to have the final say in picking candidates in next year’s assembly elections, Mulayam Singh ordered that sacked Mining Minister Gayatri Prajapati – a Shivpal protege – should get his job back. “I will extend all my support to Shivpalji”, Akhilesh told reporters, trying to drive home the point that all is well in the party after the public feud between the factions led by the two leaders. Elections are near, and I have to work for it.
Shivpal Yadav, who reached the state capital in the afternoon along with his son Aditya Yadav, was received by hundreds of supporters at the airport.
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Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has characterized the family feud, and the recent sacking of two ministers by Akhilesh for alleged corruption, as a clever ruse to project a clean-corruption free image as the state polls draw closer.
