Mulayam Singh sacks UP CM; Governor may ask Akhilesh to prove majority
New Delhi: The Samajwadi parivar on Friday fell apart with father and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his rebel son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minis-ter Akhilesh Yadav for anti-party activities. The party supremo also sacked Samajwadi Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, a confidant and Akhilesh loyalist for calling an emergency meeting of the party on January 1. Both the leaders have been 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, flanked by his brother and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav, declared at a press conference.
Governor may ask Akhilesh to prove majority
The party supremo also sacked Samajwadi Party general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, a close confidant and Akhilesh Yadav loyalist for calling an emergency meeting of the party on January 1. Both the leaders have been expelled for six years. After Mulayam Singh released his list of candidates on Wednesday, a defiant Akhilesh Yadav released his own list of candidates on Thursday, a move that enraged his father. Earlier on Friday, Mulayam Singh Yadav had issued a show-cause notice to Akhilesh for issuing a parallel list.
Taking his father head on after being expelled, Akhilesh Yadav summoned a meeting of SP MLAs at 9.30 am on Saturday. A split in the party is inevitable.
Reports indicated that top leaders of the party have urged Mulayam Singh Yadav to revoke the expulsion of Akhilesh Yadav.
Ram Gopal Yadav, defying the party chief’s diktat, asserted that Mulayam Singh’s move to sack him and Akhilesh was “unconstitutional” and that he would go ahead with the emergency meeting on January 1.
Mulayam Singh appealed to party workers “not to attend the meeting.” Immediately after SP chief expelled Akhilesh, the BJP swung into action and demanded that the Chief Minister resign on moral grounds. All eyes are now on the Governor, Ram Naik, who said he is keeping a “close watch” on the developments.
While elections dates are expected to be announced on January 3, the Governor could ask Akhilesh Yadav to prove his majority on the floor of the House in the next 72 hours.
