‘Outsider’ Amar Singh given key post by Mulayam Singh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav appointed Amar Singh as the party’s national general secretary on Tuesday, a move that is set to further worsen the ongoing turmoil in Uttar Pradesh’s ruling family.

The appointment comes days after Mulayam Singh Yadav’s CM son Akhilesh Yadav blamed Mr Singh for a bitter power struggle in the Yadav clan. Mr Singh had been removed from the post and the party six years ago.

The appointment, made despite stiff opposition from a section of the party, comes as a snub to Akhilesh Yadav as he had called Mr Singh an “outsider” who was “fishing in troubled waters.” Akhilesh Yadav has said that he will not call Mr Singh his uncle anymore.

The newly-appointed general secretary, tweeted on Tuesday; “I feel obliged for being appointed as National General Secretary of @samajwadiparty. I’m grateful to Mulayam Singh Yadav.”

The CM remained caught in a turf war with his uncle Shivpal Yadav till Mulayam Singh Yadav enforced a truce on Friday. Shivpal Yadav had defended Amar Singh, trashing accusations that he was working to harm the family and the party.

“You have been appointed general secretary of Samajwadi Party. I hope in the coming days you will strengthen the party in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections,” Mulayam Singh Yadav said in a handwritten letter to Amar Singh. The letter was sent to the media from state SP chief Shivpal Yadav’s official E-mail address.

The appointment also comes only a day after Shivpal Yadav asserted himself by expelling seven party functionaries considered close to the CM.

On Saturday, the CM restored all but one portfolios of Shivpal Yadav and promised to support him as Samajwadi Party’s state president, a post from which he was himself removed three days ago.

Amar Singh and Jaya Prada were expelled from Samajwadi Party in 2010. He floated his own party. He then joined Rashtriya Lok Dal.

In May this year, Mulayam Singh Yadav brought him back and the party unanimously nominated him to Rajya Sabha.