New Delhi/Lucknow: As the power game intensifies, knives are out in the “chacha-bhatija”camps. While Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Mr Shivpal Yadav along with party MP Amar Singh have closed ranks, cousin Ramgopal Yadav joined forces with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday.
(In a late-night development, sources said Mr Shivpal Yadav resigned as state party chief. His son Aditya Yadav also resigned as Chairman of Pradeshik Cooperative Federation)
If the battle continues to rage on within the clan, the Samajwadi Party could possibly head for a split in a post-poll scenario. At this juncture, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, who rushed to Lucknow on Thursday was trying to contain the damage to keep the outfit intact till the elections, sources said.
As soon as he reached Lucknow, the SP supremo summoned Mr Shivpal Yadav and held closed door meeting with him to defuse the situation. Mr Shivpal Yadav later met Mr Akhilesh Yadav at his official residence, sources said, adding the meeting came at the behest of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Immediately thereafter, the SP chief and the Chief Minister met, sources said. Truce, if any, SP insiders felt “can last only till the elections.” They pointed out that if the SP “loses the polls, blame game will start and there’s every possibility that the party could then split down the middle.”
Mr Ramgopal Yadav, who too had signed the letter to remove Mr Akhilesh Yadav as state unit chief, on Thursday said; “The leadership had committed a mistake by removing Mr Akhilesh Yadav as party’s UP president.” The CM’s camp maintained that the “Akhilesh is the main vote catcher. Elections are being fought under his leadership”.
