Akhilesh Yadav wants his supporters back in party

UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday that he favoured the return of expelled leaders into the SP and asked “experienced leaders” to reconsider their decision on the issue.

Seven youth leaders of the party had been expelled by state president Shivpal Yadav on September 19 and all those expelled are known to be supporters of the chief minister.

The leaders had been expelled for indulging in indiscipline and shouting slogans against the party president after Akhilesh was replaced as state president by his uncle Shivpal Yadav. “I will ask the experienced leaders of the party to reconsider their decision and take back these young leaders who have been with us from the days of struggle,” Akhilesh Yadav said on Tuesday.

The expelled leaders include Sunil Singh Sajan, Anand Bhadauria and Sanjay Lathar (all MLCs), and the frontal organisations leaders Mohd Ebad, state chief of SP youth brigade, Brijesh Yadav, state president of SP Yuvjan Sabha, Gaurav Dubey, national president of SP youth brigade and Digvijay Singh Dev, state chief of Chatra Sabha.

Defending the expelled leaders, Akhilesh Yadav said, “If they had raised slogans, it was in my favour and not against anyone.” The CM’s statement comes a day after senior party MP Ram Gopal Yadav came out in support of his nephew and expelled MLC Arvind Yadav in Etawah.