Akhilesh sacks Shivpal, 3 others form cabinet, Mulayam expels Ramgopal from SP
Our Correspondent / Lucknow
Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party today moved towards virtual split as both faction of the party took hard action against each other. While Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav dropped his uncle Shivpal Yadav and three other ministers from his cabinet, Mulayam Singh group expelled Akhilesh sympathiser and uncle Ramgopal yadav from party.
Those who were dropped from cabinet are Shivpal Yadav, Om Parkash Singh, Narad Rai and Shadaab Fatima. Later, Shivpal Yadav went Lunknow to meet Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Earlier in morning, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had written a one-page letter to party workers saying the future of the SP lies in Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The letter addressed to the party colleagues said Ram Gopal’s aim was to ensure that a state government was formed in the leadership of his nephew Akhilesh.
Showing the clear signs of divide between the rival fractions that have evolved within the SP, Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav convened a meeting of senior party leaders to broker peace.
Reacting to the ongoing tussle in Samajwadi Party BJP Spokesperson Siddharth nath singh said this fight is to share the benefits that the Samajwadi Party has got during its misrule in UP.
Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that CM Akhilesh Yadav no longer trusts his father and SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and this is nothing but the fight for power.
SP leader and Mainpuri MLA Raju Yadav today said that CM, Akhilesh yadav in the meeting made it clear that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet.
Meanwhile Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Saturday said the Yadav family feud within the Samajwadi Party would be beneficial for BJP in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh polls because the party is currently in power at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a clean image among the people.
Bahuguna also pointed out that SP’s policy to give tickets to goons and mafias has dampened Akhilesh’s efforts to reform the party’s image, and hence, the BJP would seek to capitalise on it.
CM Akhilesh orders his senior officers not to take orders from others
CM Akhilesh Yadav today ordered all his senior officers to not to take orders from others. Sources said that Akhilesh asked his Principal Secretary Anita Singh, DGP Javeed Ahmad and State Chief Cecretary Rahul Bhatnagar and others to take orders only from him and not from anyone else howsoever senior he or she may be.
Meanwhile the senior party leaders who had gathered to dwell upon the new party scenario at Mulayam’s residence concluded their meeting but tight lipped hey refused to comment and divulge any details before media. Shivpal Yadav, Speaker Mata Parasad Pandey, MPs Reoti Raman Singh and Beni Prasad Verma and national vice president Kironmoy Nanda were among those who attended the meeting.
Shivpal Yadav who was sacked as minister earlier today, was seen attending the meeting at Mulayam’s house in his personal car and not in the official cavalcade.
On the other hand shouting slogans against Amar Singh, Akhilesh’s supporters torn out the posters and pictures of Amar Singh in front of CM residence and demanded his expulsion from the party.
Meanwhile BJP has said that Akhilesh Yadav government has lost the majority in the state and should first prove his majority on the floor of the house. Speaking to media today state BJP chief KP Maurya demanded that Governor should refrain the Akhilesh government from taking big decisions till it proves the majority on the floor.