The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Akhilesh flexes MLA power, wins war
WAR WITHIN SAMAJWADI PARTY
THE SAMAJWADI Party (SP) office and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s official residence in Lucknow are just about 500 metres apart. On Saturday, the party and the CM called separate meetings of SP leaders, and considering their strength alone, the distance seemed to widen.
Akhilesh called the first meeting at 5, Kalidas Marg at 9 am, a day after he was expelled from the party. He invited party legislators and candidates he had supported for the upcoming Assembly elections. Akhilesh’s father and the party’s national president Mulayam Singh Yadav then called a similar meeting at the party office.
By 10.30 am, more than 200 SP MLAS arrived at Akhilesh’s house,accordingtoapartyinsider. At the other end of the road, the SP office had, by comparison, fewer attendees. According to party insiders, Mulayam later skipped the meet and it was instead chaired by the party’s state chief Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Among those who arrived at the SP office were ministers Paras Nath, Surendra Singh Patel and Sharda Pratap Shukla.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan acted as a mediatortoinitiatetalksbetween Mulayam and son Akhilesh. Khan reached the CM’S residence around 12.30 pm and left for Mulayam’s house with Akhilesh.
An hour later, Akhilesh returned with news that that both Ram Gopal Yadav and he had been re-inducted. He also said that the party convention on January 1, called by Ram Gopal Yadav at Janeshwar Mishra Park, was on and asked them prepare.
“At the CM’S meeting, 205 MLAS were present,” Family Welfare Minister Ravidas Mehrotra said on emerging from the CM’S residence. On Akhilesh’s message to them, he said, “Unhone kaha Mulayam Singh Yadav mere pita hain, aur pita aur putra ka rishta koi beech mein aa kar khatam nahi kar sakta, yeh khoon ka rishta hai (He said that Mulayam is his father and that no one can finish off the relationship between them...it is bonded by blood).”
With a large crowd assembled outside, like Friday evening, there was constant announcement from the Chief Minister’s residence, requesting supporters standing outside “not to attempt suicide”. The previous day, a man had reportedly attempted suicide outside the SP office.
Vibha Singh, claiming to be the vice-president of the party’s women’s wing, said, “He (Akhilesh) is certainly the undisputed leader and has also proved that today. We did not want to take sides but when we were forced to then we had no other option but to support him. Many people told me that now I would be identified and suspended for shouting slogans in his favour. I do not care. He is the future of SP and we are here to support him.”
By afternoon, as supporters requested Akhilesh to address the crowd, there was announcements, asking them to return and begin preparations for Sunday’s convention at Janeshwar Mishra Park.
With the crowd dispersing, Akhilesh Yadav resumed his duties as Chief Minister, obliging to an appointment that representatives of Jan Swastha Rakshak had with him.