Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi party chief expelled his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for anti-party activities on Friday. The party supremo also dismissed Samajwadi Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav. Gopal is a very close aid to Akhilesh. He was expelled for calling an emergency party meeting on January 1. Both the leaders were expelled for six years.

“To save the party, we have expelled both Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party. For us, the party is most important and our priority is to save the party,” Mulayam Singh Yadav along with his brother and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav, declared the news at a press conference.

After Mulayam Singh issued his list of candidates on Wednesday, a challenging Akhilesh Yadav released his own list of candidates on Thursday, a move that angered his father. Earlier on Friday, Mulayam Singh Yadav had announced a show-cause notice to Akhilesh for issuing a parallel list.

After being expelled, Akhilesh Yadav ordered a meeting of  SP MLAs at 9.30 am on Saturday. A split in the party is sure.

According to the reports, all the top leaders of the party have asked Mulayam Singh Yadav to withdraw the suspension of Akhilesh Yadav.

Ram Gopal Yadav, challenging the party chief’s order, said that Mulayam Singh’s move to fire him and Akhilesh was “unconstitutional” and that he would go ahead with the emergency meeting on January 1.

Mulayam Singh urged the party workers “not to attend the meeting.”  As soon as the news of Akhilesh Yadav's suspension was announced, the BJP came into action and demanded the resignation of Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister on moral grounds.   Now its Governor, Ram  Naik decision, who said he is keeping a “close watch” on the progress.

The election dates will be announced on January 3. The Governor could ask Akhilesh Yadav to prove his majority in the House in the next 72 hours.

Akhilesh Yadav Meets The Governor Amid SP Feud

BY M. DIVYA SRI