The crisis in the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday deepened with expulsion of party MlC Udayveer Singh, one of the closest aides of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Udayveer had written to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav suggesting him to elevate Akhilesh as the party’s national president. The decision to expel Singh was taken after the inaugural meeting of the executive committee of SP’s State unit adopted a resolution seeking action against him.
Sunday is set to be a stormier affair in the party as the reconciliation efforts by senior party leaders on Saturday failed to break the ice between Mulayam and Akhilesh, and the CM gave a call to MlAs to show his strength.
“Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and indisciplined behaviour,” said State party spokesman Ambika Chaudhary.
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 to find a solution to the bitter war that has dogged the SP’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. During the meeting at Mulayam’s residence, none from his family was present. State SP chief Shivpal was called twice inside the meeting room.
After his meeting with the SP chief, Beni Prasad Verma said, “Mulayam is very unhappy and upset with Akhilesh and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav and he vented his frustration during the meeting.”
“Though his anguish with the CM is not new but Akhilesh’ silence over Udayveer Singh’s letter has hurt him deeply,” he added.
Writing to Mulayam, 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 also met Akhilesh at his official residence but refused to share the content of their deliberations with the media.
Sources, however, said that Akhilesh 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.
Meanwhile, SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda 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, State SP chief Shivpal Yadav announced new office-bearers of the four youth outfits on Saturday.
Slamming the door on Akhilesh, Shivpal made Vijay Yadav 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.