Akhilesh to take charge of SP, with or without father
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is all set to be re-elected as the party’s national president at the two-day national convention which begins in Agra on Thursday. A resolution will also be passed at the convention to make changes in the party constitution to extend the president’s tenure from three to five years.
The national convention — the highest decisionmaking body of the party — is also significant as all eyes are on SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Last week, Akhilesh Yadav had met his father after a gap of three months to invite him to the event, but sources close to Mulayam Singh Yadav say that the senior leader has not yet given any indication of going to Agra.
If Mulayam Singh Yadav does not attend the convention, this will be the first major party event without the presence of its founder.
Addressing a press conference in Agra a day ahead of the convention, the former UP chief minister said that his uncle Shivpal Yadav had telephoned to bless and congratulate him on Wednesday.
“I got the benefit of my
Continued from Page 1 age and our relation. He gave me blessings and congratulated me also,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal were not in Agra before the key party meet, expected to be attended by over 15,000 workers. Shivpal Yadav, in fact, had made it clear earlier that he has not been invited to the convention and will not be attending it.
Mulayam Singh and Shivpal had also skipped the party’s state meet in Lucknow last month.
The amendment extending the party president’s tenure, once passed, will ensure that all elections for the next five years — UP’s local body polls, the next round of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls — are held under Akhilesh’s leadership.
As president, he will be the final signing authority in ticket distribution — a clear message to the rebel faction led by Akhilesh’s uncle and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger brother Shivpal Yadav about who is in charge.
Continued from Page 1 Services Tax (GST) and causing hardship to the common man. He said that demonetisation had affected the economy and people were losing jobs, and that the GST was a Congress idea but his party had capped the tax limit at 18 per cent.
“The Modi government has created five tax slabs and small traders are finding it difficult to file multiple returns. Business is being affected and small traders are the worst hit. I suggest, as an Opposition leader, that the government initiate dialogue with small groups and understand their problems,” he said.
Mr Gandhi also recalled how Mr Modi had “ridiculed” the rural job scheme, MGNREGA, which was a Congress brainchild. “But Modi realised later what the MGNREGA meant for the common man and he began praising it. The Congress initiates programmes after consulting common people, taking their suggestions. But the BJP people don’t do that,” Mr Gandhi said.