Rift widens as Mulayam expels CM Akhilesh for six years

The party’s chief ministerial candidate will be decided after holding discussions with party leaders,” said Mulayam, with brother Shivpal Yadav by his side.

Targeting his cousin Ramgopal, Mulayam said: “Ramgopal Akhilesh ka bhavishya kharab kar rahe hain... Akhilesh samajh nahi rahe hain... Mere saamne karyawahi ke alawa koi chara nahi bacha... Hum kadi karyawahi nahi karna chahte the (Ramgopal is spoiling Akhilesh’s future... Akhilesh cannot understand... I have no other option but to take action... I did not want to take strong action). Both of them are responsible for the current turmoil in the party.”

A defiant Ramgopal later claimed that he was expelled without a proper hearing. He accused Mulayam of taking an “unconstitutional step”.

Soon after the expulsions were announced, hundreds of Akhilesh’s supporters gathered outside his house as well as Mulayam’s residence at night, raising slogans against state party chief Shivpal Yadav. Four youths reportedly tried to immolate themselves — one suffered 10 per cent burn injuries, while three of them were stopped before they could take the step.

Earlier in the day, hours after Ramgopal arrived in Lucknow and held meetings with ministers and MLAS close to Akhilesh who have been denied party tickets, Mulayam issued showcause notices to both Akhilesh and Ramgopal.

The notice to Akhilesh, signed by Mulayam, said: “You have released a list of candidates for the 2017 Assembly polls. Whereas party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had declared a list of candidates at a press conference earlier. Your act of releasing a parallel list of candidates amounts to gross indiscipline. Hence, why should disciplinary action not be taken against you?”

The notice to Ramgopal said: “Today, on December 30, you have given a statement in press and electronic media that you will campaign for the candidates as per the list issued by Akhilesh Yadav, and you have also said that Akhilesh will run the party better than Mulayam Singh Yadav. Your statement is an act of indiscipline and insult to the national president. Hence, why should disciplinary action not be taken against you?”

The showcause notices came after Ramgopal issued a press note stating that an emergency meeting of the party’s public representatives would be held in Lucknow on January 1. “Several public representatives of the party have given me a memorandum demanding that an emergency convention of representatives should be called to give a right direction to the party and party organisation,” said Ramgopal’s note.

However, Mulayam issued a directive to all his party MPS, MLAS, MLCS and other leaders to stay away from the meeting. “Adhiveshan bulane ka adhikar rashtriya adhyaksha ko hai... na inhone parliamentary board ko confidence me liya, na hume bataya. Hume to press se soochna mili ki adhiveshan bulaya hai (Only the party president can call a session. They haven’t informed me, or taken the parliamentary board into confidence. We came to know from the press),” he said.

While Ramgopal was expelled from the party in September for criticising Mulayam, his expulsion was later revoked. However, this is the first time that Akhilesh has faced action.