Surgical strikes in SP: Mulayam, Akhilesh sack each other's loyalists

Lucknow: The ruling Samajwadi Party on Sunday inched closer to a split when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav carried out a major political surgical strike and sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav along with three other ministers close to him.

Mr Shivpal Yadav, who is the party’s state president, retaliated by expelling SP MP Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years. Mr Shivpal Yadav alleged that Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav was working at the behest of the BJP to save his son and daughter-in-law from the CBI. He said that the two were involved in the Yadav Singh-Noida Authority corruption case.

Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav had triggered off the events by dropping a letter bomb on Sunday morning in which he said that those who were opposing Mr Akhilesh Yadav should not be allowed to succeed.

I am legitimate political heir, says Akhilesh Yadav
The three ministers who were sacked along with Mr Shivpal Yadav were Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Shadab Fatima. Ms Jaya Prada has also been removed from the post of vice-chairperson of UP Film Council.

The Chief Minister informed party MLAs and MLCs of these decisions at a meeting at his residence. Mr Shivpal Singh and ministers and legislators close to him were not invited to the meeting.

“The Chief Minister said in the meeting that those close to Amar Singh will not remain in my cabinet,” said a legislator from Mainpuri Raju Yadav. The Chief Minister also announced that he was his father’s legitimate political heir and there was no question of a split in the party.

SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, meanwhile, has convened a meeting of party MLAs, MLCs and MPs on Monday. Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav later told reporters that it was wrong on the part of the CM to level direct allegations at him. Earlier, immediately after the news of the sacking of ministers spread, senior SP leaders rushed to Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence for parleys.