The crisis in Samajwadi Party deepened further as reconciliation efforts by senior leaders on Saturday failed to break the ice between Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh.
Earlier on Saturday morning, five leaders -- Rajya Sabha members Beni Prasad Verma, Reoti Raman Singh, Naresh Agarwal and Kironmoy Nanda and Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey -- met the SP chief at his residence for finding a solution to the bitter war that has dogged the Samajwadi Party's first family.
Party sources said that the five leaders held consultations for close to three hours, during which Mulayam is said to have spoken for most of the time.
Sources said during the meeting at Mulayam’s residence, none from his family was present. Shivpal Yadav was called twice inside the room.
After his meeting with the SP chief, Beni Prasad Verma said ``Mulayam Singh Yadav is very unhappy and upset with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and he vented his frustration during the meeting.’’
"Mulayam Singh Yadav is very upset with Akhilesh Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav. Though his anguish with the CM is not new but Akhilesh' silence over Udayveer Singh's letter has hurt him deeply," Verma said.
Writing to Mulayam, suspended MlC Udayveer Singh had sought a change in party leadership and demanded that Akhilesh be made the national president of the SP.
later in the evening, the leaders met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at his official residence but refused to share the content of their deliberations with the CM, with the media .
Sources however said that Akhilesh Yadav stuck to his demand for withdrawal of expulsion of all youth leaders and MlCs and harped that he should have the authority in distribution of tickets for the next Assembly polls.
SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda however said, "I am deeply saddened by the turn of events on Saturday and the party is headed towards disaster."
The failure of the reconciliation efforts was also evident from the fact that against the wishes of Akhilesh Yadav, state SP chief Shivpal Yadav announced new office bearers of the four youth outifits on Saturday.
While Mulayam held a meeting with senior party leaders, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met his supporters at his residence.
Meanwhile slamming the door on Akhilesh Yadav, state SP president Shivpal Yadav named four office bearers of the frontal outfits.
Vijay Yadav was made the new state chief of Mulayam Youth Brigade, Farhat Khan - the Alpsankhyak Morcha chief, Anil Verma president of lohia Vahini and Abhishek Singh Ashu -president of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha. The previous chiefs of these four outfits were expelled in September.