The factional feud in the Samajwadi Party again came in the open as Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out projecting Akhilesh as the Chief Ministerial candidate. The factional feud in the Samajwadi Party again came in the open as Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out projecting Akhilesh as the Chief Ministerial candidate.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has expelled his son Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party for six years. The SP Chief said that he took strong exception to the “gross indiscipline” shown by party leaders Ramgopal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav by releasing separate list of candidates for the upcoming UP elections. “To save the party, we have expelled both Ramgopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party. For us party is the most important and our priority is to save the party,” he said.

LIVE: We will decide next CM, says Mulayam Singh as he expels Akhilesh, Ramgopal Yadav from party

Criticising Akhilesh for his support to Ramgopal Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the ‘Chief Minister is not able to understand that his future was being finished by him’. Upholding his authority as the party chief, he said that emergency meeting called by Ramgopal Yadav was unconstitutional and no one has the right to call such a meeting other than the party chief.

#WATCH Akhilesh kya maafi mangega woh toh ladta hai, pita (father) manta hoga toh dekha jayega, says SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav pic.twitter.com/3RODK9uQKQ — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

Flanked by brother Shivpal Yadav, who has been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, Mulayam said he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ramgopal to save the party which he had built through hard efforts. “I have worked really hard to make this party, what was their role in this? I work hard and they reap the fruits?” he said. Addressing concerns regarding who will be the new Chief Minister of the state, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the party will take a decision on that later.

Just after Mulayam’s announcement, supporters of Akhilesh Yadav gathered in huge numbers outside CM’s residence in Lucknow, protesting against the decision. Party leader Ramgopal Yadav also reacted strongly against his expulsion from the party, describing it as “illegal”. The SP leader also said that the party chief is indulging in “unconstitutional activities.”It’s unconstitutional to expel someone without listening to them just hours after issuing show-cause notice,” he said. Asking the party president to recognise his contribution to the party, Ramgopal said that he is the one goes out to people during the elections to gather support. “Ye kehte hain ki humara koi yogdaan nhi, leking jab gairon ki beech vote maangne jana hota hai toh meri hi zaroorat padti hai (They say that I have done nothing for the party, but when you need someone to reach out to the poor for colllecting votes, then they always required me to step up),” he said.

#WATCH Supporters gather outside Akhilesh Yadav’s residence, raise slogans in his support after SP Chief expelled him for 6 years from party pic.twitter.com/x5OFePsLVD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

Warning the party that his expulsion will have a negative impact, Ramgopal said that the party will find out during elections regarding who is the more “acceptable” leader among the public. He also called the party workers called for a meeting on January 1 at Ram Manohar Lohia University for a discussion. “”I urge party workers to come to Ram Manohar Lohiya University on January 1 at 11am to discuss as to how to put a stop on those doing wrong in the party,” he said.

In an act of revolt against his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav released a separate list of Samajwadi Party candidates for the assembly elections on Thursday featuring several names which were not featured in the candidates list issued by the party president earlier on Wednesday. After a meeting with his father and uncle Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh met yesterday with the leaders that were not among the 325 candidates named in the list released on Wednesday by Mulayam. Hours later, the CM released his own list, naming 235 candidates, in which his loyalists replaced those on his father’s list.

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