Shivpal Pays Akhilesh a Visit, Raises Hopes of Reconciliation
Will the months-long political turmoil in the ruling Samajwadi Party come to an end on Friday?
Efforts for reconciliation in the Yadav family appeared to be gaining momentum with Shivpal meeting his nephew Akhilesh, on Friday, for the first time since the split in SP on Sunday even as the Chief Minister's camp claimed to have "signed" support of 212 of the 229 party MLAs.
Shivpal went to the residence of Akhilesh, on Friday morning and met him, raising hopes of reconciliation.
Party insiders were tight-lipped on what transpired during the brief meeting between the uncle and the nephew who have been at loggerheads for months now. Shivpal later met his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav as well.
However, sources privy to the fast-paced developments did not rule out the possibility of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh’s resignation.
Another possibility could be Shivpal’s resignation from the post of state SP chief, a charge held by the chief minister before the current family feud broke out.
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh denied being a "hurdle" in Akhilesh Yadav's path.
Favouring a patch-up between the two factions of SP, he said, "Whatever is happening in the party is not because of me but because of a supporter of Akhilesh." Without directly naming Ramgopal Yadav, Singh hinted that he was the source of the trouble.
The two warring factions in the Samajwadi Party – one led by patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and the other by son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav – are likely to come together again on Friday as the two meet to discuss the ongoing political conflict in the party.
Party Under Akhilesh is the Real Party: Ram Gopal Yadav
Reiterating his earlier statement, Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday said that the “party under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi Party and should be seen so. The cycle symbol must be allotted to us”.
He further informed that the Akhilesh camp will submit documents and affidavits regarding the same today. The camp met loyalists in Lucknow on Thursday to collect signed affidavits to present to the poll body to also claim the party symbol.
“Out of 229 MLAs, 212 have signed the affidavit. 56 out of 68 MLCs, 15 out of 24 MPs have signed the affidavit. We will submit them to the EC today”.
A Ray of Hope?
A meeting between Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh is underway at Mulayam Singh’s residence right now.
Earlier in the day, Shivpal Yadav arrived at Akhilesh’s house for a meeting. At the same time, Amar Singh reached Mulayam’s residence.
The meeting comes after a four-hour long meeting at Mulayam’s residence on Thursday night. Both Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav were also present at the meeting.
Akhilesh Claims Support of 214 Lawmakers
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav left for Delhi on Thursday to furnish details of the support of legislators for his faction to the EC in his effort to retain the 'cycle' poll symbol.
The camp led by his son Akhilesh, meanwhile, met loyalists in Lucknow to collect signed affidavits to present to the poll body in a day or two to also claim the party symbol, sources said.
An NDTV report said that Akhilesh's camp claims to have the support of 214 lawmakers. The chief minister also reportedly told his supporters in the meeting that the party's 'cycle' symbol will be theirs.
Giving ample indications that he was not in a mood to climb down, a defiant Akhilesh said, “We are going for polls... We will return again”.
Continuing Pari-War Over the Party Symbol
The Election Commission has initiated the process for the two warring factions of the party to prove their majority for getting the party symbol. In the 404-member UP Assembly, the SP has 229 MLAs.
Both factions will have to prove the number of MLAs, MPs and MLCs supporting them through signed affidavits.
At the 'national convention' of the SP convened by Ram Gopal Yadav on January, over 200 of the 229 MLAs had turned up, besides a large number of MLCs, MPs, senior party leaders and office-bearers.
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