Storm after storm in Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav says all’s well

Ruckus by Akhilesh men at Lucknow SP office as Mulayam says MLAs to elect new CM if party wins.

There was another storm after the Samajwadi Party storm on Tuesday when party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav reiterated that its MLAs would elect their leader if the party got a majority in the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

“Ours is a democratic party. First let us get a majority and then the elected representatives will select their CM. Akhilesh is (now) the CM, does anyone have any problem ”

The high drama that was seen at the SP office on Monday was replayed on Tuesday when the supporters of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav again created a ruckus, demanding that Akhilesh be named the chief ministerial candidate again.

The ruckus continued for over three hours, during which Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav had to remain inside the party office. Earlier, Mulayam Singh Yadav, accompanied by state SP chief Shivpal Yadav, held a press conference where he read out a brief written note reaffirming his faith in the ideology of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.

Mr Yadav refused to respond to allegations levelled by his cousin, expelled leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, and said there was no need to drag Mr Amar Singh into the controversy. Asked if he would take over as chief minister to salvage the situation, Mulayam Yadav said: “What is the point of becoming chief minister for two months Is it only to distribute salaries ”

Mr Yadav, when asked about the reinduction of sacked ministers into the state government, said: “I leave it to the chief minister”. He declared at the press conference: “My family and party are united. All workers are united. There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base.” Sources claim that with the status quo continuing, a fresh round of war is likely to emerge when the issue of ticket distribution comes up in the coming weeks.

Akhilesh Yadav had put up three demands — that he should be given the right to decide on tickets for the Assembly polls, he should be made state chief again and all his expelled loyalists should be taken back.

SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, at Monday’s meeting, had made it amply clear he would not part ways with his brother Shivpal, whose differences with Akhilesh are now well known. He had also spoken in support of Mr Amar Singh.

A party legislator who belongs to the Akhilesh camp said on Tuesday: “We remain caught between the proverbial devil and the deep sea. The differences between Akhilesh and Shivpal remain unresolved... In fact there is greater bitterness between the two now, and we don’t know whether we will get tickets or not.”

At least half a dozen ministers who had openly sided with the chief minister are also wary about their future.

“Akhilesh has got almost isolated after the expulsion of Ram Gopal Yadav, and it is Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav who have emerged stronger after the manner in which the party president openly backed them. It is obvious that in the parliamentary board, Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav will play dominant roles”, a minister said.

The expelled leaders, who were hopeful of Akhilesh Yadav forming a new party so they could get to play a more important role, are in a fix. “We are with Akhilesh, but if he continues to remain in the SP and our expulsion is not revoked, we will remain jobless,” said an expelled leader of Yuvjan Sabha.

Shivpal loyalists, on the other hand, are equally upset as chances of Shivpal Yadav making a comeback in the state government are now remote.

“He may not want to return to the ministry for two or three months. Instead, he will devote his time to the organisation. Besides, he will not like to increase his interaction with the CM in this prevailing situation,” said a close aide of Shivpal Yadav.