Samajwadi Party has stepped up the efforts for the reconciliation within the first family of the party ahead of the November 5, to celebrate the silver jubilee of the inception of the party. The party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has now relented and Akhilesh Yadav is all set to be declared as the Chief Minister candidate of the party on November 5.
The silver jubilee celebration is significant day for the party as on that day the party will formally kick off the poll campaign. The SP also would do its best to send signals to the masses and the rank and file of the party that it was not a ‘divided house’ and the whole family and the party was united to take the plunge in campaign for the next Assembly elections. SP has already cancelled several poll related programmes like the ‘Vikas Se Vijay Ke Aor’ yatra by the Chief Minister, Mulayam Sandesh Yatra and mega rally by the SP chief in Azamgarh on October 6.
However the contentious issues like the withdrawal of the expulsion of the youth leaders of ‘Team Akhilesh’ and restoration of Akhilesh Yadav as State president of the Samajwadi party continue to dodge resolution. On Monday SP supremo Mulayam Singh had held long meeting with Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav. Akhilesh is reported to be adamant that the post of the State president of the party be restored to him for amicable settlement of the feud plaguing the party for over the last month. Mulayam Singh Yadav is said to have assured the Chief Minister that he will look into the matter after the silver jubilee function on November 5.
In the mid September on the directions of Mulayam Singh Yadav Akhilesh Yadav was replaced by his uncle Shivpal Yadav as the State president of the party. Few days later following the protest by the youth leaders, three MlCs and heads of the four youth organisations were expelled from the party.
The ruling party is conscious of the fact that it has lost significant political ground ever since it plunged in factional feud on September 12. SP sources said that the party leadership has no option left but to carry out the fire fighting operation to control the damage. SP sources also indicated that the top leadership of the party apprehends that if the leadership issue for the next Assembly election is not immediately settled then the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may not attend the silver jubilee function on November 5.
On September 12 Chief Minister had sacked two Ministers Gyatrri Prajapati and Raj Kishore Singh from the Cabinet and the Chief Minister himself was sacked as the State president of the party.