Flanked by his chacha on one side and Md Azam Khan on the other Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said here on Tuesday that the `Samajwadi parivar’ stands united and will contest the forthcoming assembly election with a mission to form next government in Uttar Pradesh.
“Samajwadi parivar jaisa thaa waisa hi hai, hum sab ek hoke 2017 me SP sarkar banaenge( The SP family was the same as it was in the past and we will unitedly fight to regain the power in 2017),” Chief Minister said in presence of state SP president Shivpal Singh Yadav and minority welfare minister Mohammad Azam Khan.
As he said these words ministers including Azam Khan who were standing behind Akhilesh Yadav clapped in a show of solidarity. The smile also appeared on the face of Shivpal Singh Yadav but he preferred to look downwards..
“The Samajwadi parivar and the party are united lot. We were one and will remain one. We will contest the next election as a united force. We are confident that Samajwadi Party will return to power,” he said.
Yadav, however, admitted that the dispute within the family has created some confusion within the party rank and file. “That issue has been resolved,” he said.
Akhilesh was speaking to reporters after cabinet meeting but refused to talk about the fragile truce prevailing in the party. Even his `chacha’ Shivpal Singh Yadav did not take questions. Akhilesh, however, held the fort and said that “there is a big challenge from communal forces but we would fight it unitedly. We will stop these forces.”
Highly placed sources told The Pioneer that before start of cabinet meeting Chief Minister had asked officials to go out as “he wanted to discuss some issues with the ministers.”
Yadav then told ministers about what happened in last few days and what was his stand. He explained in detail what transpired in the family. “I am telling you to clear cloud,” Akhilesh at one point of time said. Sources said that Shivpal Singh Yadav did not say a word. Only Md Azam Khan intervened to say how an outsider has created such a bawal in the party