In a clear indication of thaw in Samajwadi Party’s first family, patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to attend the party’s national convention at Agra on Thursday. Party sources however indicated that the process of reconciliation was still on and the situation could change at the last moment. Akhilesh warring uncle Shivpal Yadav is likely to stay away from the function.
A senior SP leader and Rajya Sabha MP said that Mulayam Singh has relented and would attend the Agra convention starting on Thursday. He said that it was however not clear whether Akhilesh would hand over the reins of the party to his father.
Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Agra on Wednesday that “Netaji has blessed me and I extend him the invitation for attending the national convention’’. He also said that the “uncle Shivpal Yadav also congratulated me and gave his blessings’’.
Akhilesh Yadav, however, made no mention whether he has invited Shivpal Yadav for the national convention.
SP sources said that notwithstanding his father and SP patron Mulayam Singh calling him ‘dhokhebaaz’ (going back on the promise to hand over the reins of the party), Akhilesh is set to be re-elected the party’s national president.
SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said that all arrangements were in place for the convention at Agra and over 15 thousand delegates from across the country were likely to participate.
Ahead of the convention, Akhilesh had met Mulayam Singh at the latter’s residence in lucknow which was labelled by knowledagble sources as an attempt to persuade the senior leader to attend the function.
While getting himself annointed as SP national chief on January 1 this year, Akhilesh had promised that he would hand over the party reins to Mulayam once the Assembly polls were over.
Former SP general secretary and Akhilesh’s bete noire, Shivpal Singh Yadav has not been invited to the convention.
However, Shivpal is said to have held a long telephonic conversation with Akhilesh Yadav but the talks were inconclusive.
SP sources also confided that a section of the party was trying to broker truce within the SP family and persuade Shivpal to accept Akhilesh’ leadership in exchange of the post of party general secretary.
Akhilesh and Shivpal fell out in September 2016 and the then CM sacked the latter from his cabinet. In subsequent days, the SP infighting intensified and Akhilesh, at a hurriedly convened SP national convention on January 1 ousted Mulayam from the SP top post and made himself the national president.
Sources said that the convention was likely to adopt several resolutions on political, economic and other fields and target the BJP for its ‘divisive and communal’ politics.
A SP leader said the 10th national convention will set the agenda for 2019 lok Sabha poll in Uttar Pradesh.
Political observers feel that real challenge for Akhilesh would begin now as it would be an uphill task to fight against ruling dispensations both in UP and at the Centre.
What remains to be seen is how Akhilesh steers the party in future.
SP sources said that the SP convention will formally approve amendment in the party’s constitution and extend the tenure of party chief to five years from the present three years. The amendment would settle the festering leadership issue in SP and snuff out any potential rebellion against Akhilesh.
The amendment would ensure that the 2019 lok Sabha poll and 2022 Assembly poll were held under Akhilesh Yadav and he would have the final say in deciding candidates for all elections.