Supporters throng party HQ as new state chief takes charge in old office

THERE WAS high drama at the SP headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday evening after supporters of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav forced the security team to open the gate, which had been closed since morning. The supporters were accompanied by newly appointed SP state president Naresh Uttam.

Uttam took charge as state unit chief while the supporters distributed sweets, danced to the beats of the dhol and slogans in support of Akhilesh and Uttam.

All the name plates — except for Mulayam Singh Yadav’s — were removed from the party office, including that of Shivpal Yadav. However, the room that was occupied by Shivpal Yadav as state president remained locked, and Uttam took charge in the room he had occupied as deputy to Akhilesh when he was state party chief. Subsequently Uttam addressed party workers and asked them to strengthen the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, soon after Akhilesh was named the national president of the party, a heavy police contingent, including Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF), was deployed outside the party headquarters. The entry to the headquarters was also restricted.

Cabinet minister Ravidas Mehrotra, who was the first to arrive at the party headquarters at around 12.30 pm after the resolution was passed, was initially stopped by the security team.

“I was stopped from going into the party office,” said Mehrotra. The security team, however, later allowed Ravidas to go inside alone without his supporters, but he refused.

A few minutes later, several supporters of Akhilesh arrived and chanted slogans in favour of the CM. A group of supporters had earlier attempted to enter the party office but were stopped.

Police teams were also deployed outside the residences of Mulayam and Shivpal, which are close to the party headquarters. Supporters of Shivpal, meanwhile, protested by camping on the road and chanting slogans in the favour of Mulayam and Shivpal.

Entry into the office of Janeshwar Mishra Trust, which is 200 metres from the party headquarters, was also restricted. A police team was deployed there.

File N T Rama Rao with N Chandrababu Naidu.

Pramod Adhikari Akhilesh Yadav’s supporters at the party office in Lucknow.