After the Samajwadi Party top guns washed their dirty linen in public at a meeting convened by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday morning and threat of vertical split in the Samajwadi pariwar loomed large, serious efforts were underway till late night to salvage the party in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The events of the day made it clear that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was not ready to play second fiddle to his uncle Shivpal Yadav and could go to any extent to ensure he called the shots in ticket distribution and poll campaign.
Akhilesh has reasons to feel emboldened by the massive turnout of his supporters at the meeting of MPs, legislators and grassroots workers at the SP office. The way his supporters booed Shivpal showed that majority of the cadre and workers, especially the youth, were solidly behind the Chief Minister. Shivpal may be known as “nut and bolt” man of the SP, but Akhilesh showed he knew how to tighten the screw on his rivals.
If at all the warring factions of the Samajwadi Party agree for a temporary truce, it will be dictated by the compulsion of the Assembly polls. The distrust, jealously and bitterness run deep among the stakeholders. Any event, dispute over ticket distribution or poll campaign, can flare up fight again.
After the morning meeting in which Akhilesh and Shivpal traded charges and Mulayam snubbed his son openly saying power has gone to his head, top leaders of the party are understood to have pleaded with Netaji to broker a truce between his son and his brother to save the party following which Mulayam is reported to have summoned both the warring leaders to his residence.
At 12.30 pm, Akhilesh reached Mulayam Singh’s residence at Vikramaditya Marg. Within minutes, Shivpal also arrived. Mulayam Singh tried to find a middle path, by telling them that Akhilesh being the Chief Minister will look after the Government, and Shivpal will manage the party organisations.
For the next four hours, Shivpal met the visitors mostly the MlAs at party office, whereas the Chief Minister held consultations with Ministers and MlAs at his residence. Meanwhile, Mulayam discussed a way out with senior leaders of the party.
Mulayam again summoned Akhilesh and Shivpal to his residence at 5 pm.
Akhilesh and Shivpal spent an hour with Mulayam and senior party leaders but left without offering even sound bites to the media. Obviously, there was no good news that either of them could share.
As Mulayam, Akhilesh and Shivpal held separate parleys with their own trusted men, a third meeting between the three of them took an hour later at 6 pm. After the meeting, Akhilesh claimed all was well within the party and the Government and there was nothing to worry about. He said he has asked the party cadre to devote their time and energy for the next Assembly elections after Deepawali.
However, it is unlikely that the crisis could blow away just like this. With Mulayam’s political legacy at stake, it will be interesting to see how both sides position themselves when it comes to deciding ticket for the polls. As of now, it is an uneasy calm within the Samajwadi pariwar.