Mulayam blinks, again: Akhilesh back in party

six years, Ram Gopal was back in SP the next month.

On Saturday, the announcement to revoke the expulsion of Akhilesh and Ram Gopal was made by Shivpal after a meeting at Mulayam Singh’s residence. Cabinet Minister Azam Khan was said to be the mediator at the meeting where Akhilesh met his father and uncle.

It came soon after nearly 200 MLAS — the SP strength in the 403-member House is 224 — staged a show of strength outside the Chief Minister’s residence at 5, Kalidas Marg in Lucknow. Less than two dozen MLAS reached the SP office where Mulayam was to address them.

Emerging from the meeting, Shivpal headed to his residence and tweeted that the expulsion of Akhilesh and Ram Gopal had been revoked by Mulayam. Later, addressing SP workers outside the party office, he said: “I want to give you good news. Netaji (Mulayam Singh) has revoked the expulsion of the Chief Minister and Professor Ram Gopal Yadav. I want to wish you all a happy new year. I am asking all Samajwadis to go to their areas to unitedly fight the elections.”

“When Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency, socialists like Raj Narain, whose death anniversary we are observing today, fought against her. The Congress lost all 85 Lok Sabha seats in UP. There is a similar situation now. We have to unite and fight the BJP and communal forces, back candidates who have been provided the cycle symbol (party symbol) by Netaji,” he said.

Azam Khan said: “There is no problem now. Chief Minister and Ram Gopal have been taken back into the party. It happens sometimes... when a child gets upset, the father may have to please him.” He said the row over the distribution of election tickets will also be resolved soon.

The Akhilesh camp has not blinked so far. Akhilesh has decided to go ahead with a national convention of the party at Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow on Sunday — Mulayam Singh had earlier said the convention called by Ram Gopal was “against the party constitution”.

Asked if the party’s stand on the convention had changed, SP state spokesperson Mohammad Shahid said: “I cannot say anything. Only the SP national president will take a decision on it and it will be communicated to all.”

The distribution of poll tickets remains to be sorted out. Akhilesh loyalists want the Chief Minister to have a say on the matter — he had put out a separate list of 235 candidates a day after Mulayam Singh declared the names of 325 party candidates.

Most candidates and leaders are staying on in Lucknow to see the outcome of the national convention Sunday. A section in the party wants Akhilesh elevated as the executive national president of the SP. “My name is in both lists (of Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh). But I have come to the party office because the Chief Minister called a meeting of only the MLAS,” Ravindra Kumar, who has been party candidate from Khurja, said.

Akhilesh supporters raised slogans outside his residence while Shivpal supporters did the same at the SP office.