NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for six years for alleged anti-party activities, putting the state ruling party on the brink of a split ahead of assembly elections next year. Also expelled for six years on the same grounds is the patriarch’s cousin Ram Gopal Yadav , a Rajya Sabha member.The rift in the party — with Mulayam and brother Shivpal Yadav on one side against the chief minister and Ram Gopal — had come to the fore after separate election candidate lists were released by both camps. Mulayam’s decision to expel his son and cousin, announced on Friday evening, came within hours of Ram Gopal calling an emergency national convention, or Aapatkalin Rashtriya Pratinidhi Sammelan, of SP on January 1.Akhilesh has called a meeting of legislators loyal to him on Saturday at 9.30 am. Mulayam, meanwhile, has called a meeting of candidates selected by him at 10.30 am. There appeared to be fireworks in store with sources in the Akhilesh camp telling ET that they have the “written support” of 80% of party MLAs and functionaries. They also said all arrangements have been made to crown Akhilesh the party president on January 1. Akhilesh is expected to lay claim to the party symbol — cycle — and will approach the Election Commission post his anointment as president.Congress is expected to support the Akhilesh faction in the upcoming state elections, and a rainbow coalition of Akhilesh-Congress-Rashtriya Lok Dal could be in the works.On Friday, an angry Mulayam blamed Ram Gopal for not only harming the party but also damaging the future of his son, adding that he was never keen on stern action against anyone within the party. “However, I am doing this to save the party,” he told reporters at a press conference at the party office in Lucknow.He said the meeting called by Ram Gopal was “unconstitutional” and appealed to party workers not to participate. “Hum appeal karenge koi bhi asamvaidhanik sammelan me shaamil nahin ho, party ko bachaaye (I appeal to party workers not to participate in the meeting and save the party),” Mulayam said.Ram Gopal told reporters that the expulsions were “unconstitutional”, calling on party workers to attend the January 1 meeting in Lucknow, in defiance of Mulayam’s diktat. “Party ke samvidhan ka sahi tarah se Netaji ko maloom nahin hai (Netaji is perhaps not aware about the party’s constitution),” he said.Ram Gopal also said it was not right to expel him and Akhilesh within hours of issuing showcause notices. These sought explanations from Akhilesh and Ram Gopal for defying the party line in the selection of candidates.While the chief minister was asked to explain his decision to release a parallel list, Ram Gopal was asked to explain his support for those candidates.Earlier, before the expulsions were announced, the chief minister had told ET that he will not contest the upcoming assembly elections. “Is baari main chunaav nahin ladoonga, chunav ladaoonga (This time I will not fight elections but will make others contest). I have to be available to campaign everywhere,” Yadav had said.When asked about the possibility of the party being headed for a split with rival camps warring over different candidate lists, the chief minister had said: “I don’t want to split the party. We are trying to resolve differences. We must work to not let Bharatiya Janata Party come to power at any cost.”