Akhilesh all set to marginalize Shivpal

I t is a measure of the guile that former U.P. chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has acquired from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav that he has completely outmanoeuvred his uncle Shivpal Yadav and settled the long-festering family feud in his own favour. How long the imposed peace on Akhilesh’s diktat with his father’s tacit support would last is ofcourse anybody’s guess. As of now, the odds seem stacked in young Akhilesh’s favour and it appears that this would continue in the foreseeable future. At the Samajwadi Party national convention later this week, Akhilesh Yadav, by amending the party constitution, will attempt to close all exit routes for the beleaguered uncle. It is proposed that the convention — the highest decision-making body of the party — will pass a resolution to make changes in the party constitution to extend its president’s tenure from three to five years. The amendments once passed, would ensure the next round of Lok Sabha and UP Assembly polls will be held under Akhilesh’s leadership. Akhilesh, as the president, thus will be the final signing authority in ticket distribution for all the elections.

The move is aimed at mobilizing party cadre ahead of the UP local body polls and thereafter the general elections in 2019. By making Akhilesh the sole decision-maker in ticket distribution, the writing would be on the wall for Shivpal. Akhilesh had already cemented his position by replacing father Mulayam as the national president of the party. Now, he would make himself virtually irreplaceable at least until the next elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly. The return of a semblance of cohesion in the party would perhaps also work to the party’s advantage.