UP polls: Samajwadi Party battle over symbol; reaches Election Commission
Samajwadi party factions take battle to EC as both sides stake claim on election symbol.
Lucknow: The ongoing battle in the Samajwadi Party which climaxed on Sunday with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav becoming national president after deposing his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, is now ready to go on to the next level.
Both the factions are now preparing to take their battle to the Election Commission to establish themselves as the “real Samajwadi Party” and retain the party symbol which is the cycle.
Prof Ram Gopal Yadav announced at the emergency convention that the Election Commission was being immediately informed of the election of Mr Akhilesh Yadav as the new party president and the powers that the national convention had vested in him.
Senior SP leader Ambica Chaudhary, meanwhile, said that the convention was already illegal since the party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had issued a letter declaring it null and void much before the event began.
Constitutional experts in Lucknow said that if the battle reached the Election Commission, the dispute could lead to seizure of the election symbol till the matter is resolved.
“Both sides are going to lose if the symbol is seized. It is clear that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was aware of the plans when he declared the convention as illegal on Sunday morning. The idea obviously was to prepare the ground for further action,” said a retired judge who did not wish to be named.
Meanwhile, BJP on Sunday alleged that the turmoil in Samajwadi Party was a “well orchestrated” ploy to divert attention from the “failures” of Akhilesh Yadav.
Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said the happenings in Samajwadi Party is like a “family drama” with full of “comedy” but it will end up in a “tragedy” resulting in total pack up of the Ahkhilesh Yadav government.
“In 2012, people chose SP with high hopes, but they betrayed people. The Akhilesh Yadav government has proved to be a dud on all points including drinking water, law and order, power and education. The only thing they have to shown in terms of achievements is lawlessness in the state,” he said.