Our Correspondent/ Lucknow
Samajwadi Party today elected Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as new president of the party repalcing his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, who now has been made as Patron of the party. At the party’s national executive Party meeting convened by general secretary Ramgopal Yadav today, party leaders unanimously elected Akhilesh Yadav as its head.
Naresh Uttam has been appointed state party chief replacing Shivpal Yadav who was removed by a resolution in the convention held earlier today.
His supporters laid a siege over the party headquarters in Lucknow and forcibly removed Shivpal’s nameplate outside his office. More dramatic events may crop up in coming days in Samajwadi Party even before 5th January when Mulayam Singh has called emergency convention of the party. Now Akhilesh seems to be almost in total control of the Party organisation, the party HQs and also the huge following of party workers. During all this turmoil Akhilesh Yadav has become stronger as he also got the direct support of close allies of Mulayam Singh.
Mulayam singh termed the decision as “unconstitutional” and once again expelled Ramgopal for six years. Party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda was also expelled from the party by Mulayam as he presided over the Convention. Soon after being proposed as the national president of the party, Akhilesh said his respect for his father was more than ever and that he would stand against those conspiring against the party.
Separate resolutions were also moved by Ramgopal at the convention to expel Amar Singh and remove Shivpal Yadav from the post of the SP’s Uttar Pradesh chief. Reacting to the developments, Mulayam issued a strongly-worded letter against his cousin brother Ramgopal and called a national convention of the party on 5th January.