24 hours later, dad backs son
The generational shift in the Samajwadi Parivar is complete. At least it seemed so after 77-year-old party chief and father Mulayam Singh Yadav was forced to revoke the expulsion of his 43-yearold rebel son and state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday, less than 24 hours after he had sacked him for anti-party activities.
With almost the entire party, including some of his loyalists, abandoning him in favour of his son and facing an imminent split that could have reduced his clout, Mulayam Singh Yadav was left with no option but to reconcile with his son.
Akhilesh Yadav's victory was complete when the SP chief also revoked the expulsion of party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav whom he had accused of “ruining Akhilesh’s political career” and trying “to take over SP”.
The party’s official website even dropped the pictures of Shivpal Yadav, who had replaced Akhilesh as the state unit chief. Akhilesh Yadav’s photographs are back to dominate the site.
Swallowing a bitter pill, Shivpal Yadav said, “SP will fight the 2017 Assembly elections unitedly to defeat the communal forces.”
Akhilesh Yadav’s victory was complete when the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also revoked the expulsion of general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav whom he had accused of ”ruining Akhilesh’s political career”
In the 24 hours, since SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced the expulsion of Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years, there were several twists and turns in the high voltage drama that played out in the Samajwadi parivar.
On Saturday morning, both Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav summoned party MLAs and other functionaries for a show of strength. The Chief Minister won hands down with nearly 200 of the SP’s 231 MLAs reaching his residence. Only a handful of MLAs showed up at Mulayam Singh’s doorstep.
One of Mulayam Singh’s loyalists, Atiq Ahmed, who had been given the party ticket against Akhilesh’s wishes, offered to back off for the unity of the party. Atiq, who was one of the few SP functionaries to have reached Mulayam Singh’s residence, said, “If I am the reason, I am ready to back off.”
After the angry and ageing father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, flanked by his brother Shivpal Yadav, made his move to retain his hold on the party that he had created with “blood and sweat” and sacked his son for defying his diktat and coming out with a parallel list of candidates, all hell broke loose.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav telephoned Mulayam Singh Yadav and urged him to revoke Akhilesh Yadav’s expulsion.