Back to war as Akhilesh seizes party’s reins from Mulayam

said the parliamentary board also ratified the list of candidates declared by him earlier, and that he had been empowered to declare candidates for the remaining seats. Mulayam has called another emergency national convention on Thursday at the same venue, Lucknow’s Janeshwar Mishra Park, to dispel “people’s misconception about public support”.

Undeterred by Mulayam’s announcement, Akhilesh announced the name of MLC Naresh Uttam as the new state president in place of Shivpal. Akhilesh’s supporters entered the SP state headquarters at 19, Vikramaditya Marg, along with Uttam, and removed Shivpal’s name plates from the room of the state president.

Both sides indicated that they were inclined to go their separate ways and fight it out before the Election Commission and the courts for the control of the party.

The emergency national convention by Akhilesh, which lasted barely an hour, passed three proposals, with those present asked to give their consent by raising their hands. The proposals included “immediate expulsion” of the party’s general secretary and MP Amar Singh.

Among those present on the dais were not just Akhilesh loyalists but several senior leaders considered close to Mulayam, like party co-founder Reoti Raman Singh, Kiranmoy Nanda, Naresh Agrawal and most of the Rajya Sabha MPS and MLAS. Among the leaders who stayed away were senior leader and Cabinet minister Azam Khan.

Nearly 3,000 delegates were asked to give their signatures on the three proposals.

Beginning the proceedings of the convention, Ram Gopal acknowledged that the SP was established and built by Netaji but said that two persons were trying to finish it and didn’t want Akhilesh to become CM again. “The party and the government were functioning properly and the people were talking about the party returning to power. At that time, two persons hatched a conspiracy and got him (Akhilesh) removed from the post of state president. Akhilesh is No. 1 leader of the nation but his opinion was also ignored. Party workers were expelled and tickets were given, in an unconstitutional manner without calling the parliamentary board meeting, to those who are not even party members and those who worked against the party,” he said. His announcement that they had three proposals to be passed drew cheers from the crowd.

The first proposal was to appoint Akhilesh as national president and empower him to reconstitute the party’s national executive committee and the parliamentary board as well as appoint new state chiefs. The second proposal was to make Mulayam the SP’S “supreme patron, whose guidance will be sought in party affairs”. The third proposal was to “immediately remove” Shivpal from the post of state president and expel Amar Singh.

Ram Gopal said the three resolutions were being sent to the Election Commission.

After being named party chief, Akhilesh said he will respect Mulayam “more than before”. “If someone conspires against Netaji, it is my responsibility, being his son, to stand against such people. All sections of the society and public want that the party forms the next government but some people don’t want this to happen. When we form our next government with full majority, Netaji will be the happiest,” he said.

Akhilesh said it were other people who had carried a typewriter to Mulayam’s residence to get the letter of his removal from the post of state president typed. “Next two to three months are going to be extremely important, we don’t want that someone gets something typed on behalf of Netaji... We have come here after an agnipariksha (test by fire). We will form the next government if you continue your support,” he said.

Akhilesh added, “Netaji will remain my father and I will be his son. No one can end this relationship. If I have to save the party, I will do it. If I have to save the family, I will take any responsibility for that.”

Late in the evening, he tweeted, “Sometimes to protect the ones you love you must make the right decision. What I did today was a tough decision but one that I had to take.”

Concluding the convention, Nanda said the party will fight the next election under the leadership of Akhilesh. “He is the heir of Netaji,” he said.

Mulayam met Rajya Sabha MP Beni Prasad Verma and Shivpal at his residence. Later, Shivpal announced that Mulayam had called the parliamentary board meeting. He then released a statement signed by Mulayam calling the national convention held by Akhilesh “unconstitutional”. “This convention was called without the permission of the national president. All its proposals and decisions are illegal. The parliamentary board holds this convention, its proposals and proceedings unconstitutional and condemns it. It confirms the expulsion of Prof Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years,” the statement said.

The statement added that Mulayam has “a history of building the party and fighting communal forces”. “But some people are constantly disrespecting him to hide their wrong deeds and to save themselves from the CBI and to give benefits to the BJP. These people had hatched the conspiracy to call the so-called convention,” it said, in an apparent reference to Ram Gopal, whom Shivpal has in the past accused of being hand-in-glove with the BJP.