BJP wants united Samajwadi Party to split Muslim votes

New Delhi/ Lucknow: The politics of brink-manship continues to unfold in the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav having apparently dug his heels in to thwart the move to placate Shivpal Singh Yadav.

The BJP, which is keen to see the SP to stay strongly in the contention for the Assembly elections for division of Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh, made a surprise move on the sly on Wednesday.

“Mr Amar Singh impressed upon the SP chief to grant an audience to a media moghul, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha with the BJP support. He met the SP chief in the presence of Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav at 16, Asoka Road residence of Neta ji. He sought to persuade Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav to not precipitate issues, which may compel Mr Akhilesh Yadav to split the party,” sources said.

With the Yadav clan being bogged down by a number of CBI cases, sources said the BJP is attempting to ensure that the SP remains united for a multi-cornered contest in the state.

Incidentally, Mr Akhilesh Yadav has been seething, sources said, against Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav for promoting his step-brother Prateek Yadav.

“Mr Amar Singh and Mr Shivpal are acting in consonance to undermine the clout of Akhilesh. He is being provoked with the promotion of Mr Prateek Yadav in the party . Mr Akhilesh Yadav and Mr Ram Gopal Yadav are working  overtime to further clip the wings of Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav, while blanking out Mr Amar Singh from interfering in the party functioning,” sources added.

I am being painted as villain: Shivpal Singh Yadav
The crisis in the Samajwadi Party refused to die down as senior party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Wednesday told party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav that he was being painted as a villain despite following his orders.

Shivpal, who is the younger brother of Mulayam, reached Delhi to meet the party chief at his official residence. In his over four-hour-long meeting, Shivpal told Mulayam that in the past four-and-a-half years, he has followed the party supremo’s directions despite having difference of opinion on certain issues.

Sources said he gave examples that as a senior minister in the Akhilesh government, he never publicly opposed the decisions taken by Akhilesh or Mulayam even though he may have expressed difference of opinion to them in private. Later talking to reporters, Shivpal, however, rejected suggestions that there were differences within the party and the Yadav family.