New Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav refused to give in to son Akhilesh on Sunday, insisting that he remains the national president of the Samajwadi Party while brother Shivpal Yadav continues to be the state president.
“I am the Samajwadi Party chief and Akhilesh Yadav is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Shivpal Yadav is the state president,” Mulayam said in a press conference in New Delhi.
The Akhilesh faction of the party has already submitted affidavits signed by over 4,000 delegates to the Election Commission. These delegates include majority of the party’s elected legislators, parliamentarians, councilors and members of its National Convention.
“Ram Gopal Yadav was expelled for six years. He can't call a party convention,” said Mulayam, referring to the national executive meet of January 1, where Akhilesh was ‘elected’ the party’s national president.
Polls will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh on February 11 (73 constituencies), February 15 (67), February 19 (69), February 23 (53), February 27 (52), March 3 (49) and March 8 (40).
Both the sides had also submitted some documents to further their claim and the commission has given them time till Monday to provide signed affidavits of legislators and office bearers to claim control over the party's name and symbol.
The side which has the support of majority (50 percent plus 1) MPs, MLAs, MLCs and delegates will gain an upper hand in the fight to control the party founded 25 years ago.
On Saturday, the Akhilesh faction submitted to the EC affidavits claimed to have been signed by 90 per cent of legislators and delegates, including over 200 of the 229 MLAs backing the Chief Minister.
(With agency inputs)
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