The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday fixed January 13 as the date for hearing the Samajwadi Party (SP) factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and and his son Akhilesh Yadav to settle the dispute over control of the party and its election symbol, ‘cycle’.
Meanwhile, differences persisted on Tuesday over key issues in Samjawadi Party (SP), notwithstanding a meeting Mr. Akhilesh Yadav had with Mr. Mulayam, who on Monday night declared that his son will be the Chief Minister if the party wins in the Assembly elections.
The Commission wants to settle the matter before January 17 when the process of nomination begins for the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh to be held on February 11, provided the two sides proceed accordingly.
Notices are being sent to both factions for the hearing.
While the Akhilesh camp has submitted affidavits signed by party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and delegates supporting him, the other side has maintained that as per the party’s constitution, Mr. Mulayam is still the party chief.
The Mulayam-led faction has also claimed that the affidavits submitted by the Akhilesh camp were forged and that the EC should get them verified before proceeding.
On Monday, the Akhilesh camp urged the Commission to decide on the matter at the earliest as the nomination process will begin on Tuesday next.
The ‘cycle’ symbol faces the threat of being frozen before the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls if the Election Commission is not able to decide which of the two factions of the party commands majority in the organisation.
The side that has the support of majority (50 per cent plus 1) of MPs, MLAs, MLCs and delegates will gain an upper hand in the fight to control the party founded 25 years ago.
Candidates from the Mulayam and Akhilesh camps cannot fight election on ‘cycle’ symbol at the same time, therefore, the EC will have to take a call on the issue before the filing of nominations begins.
Akhilesh meets Mulayam
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister walked down to his father’s bungalow on Tuesday morning and after the meeting proceeded to his residence without responding to media questions.
There was no official word from either side as to what transpired at the 90-minute one-to-one meeting between the father and the son at Mr. Mulayam’s bungalow which took place amid signs of rapprochement.
There were expectations of reconciliation as Mr. Akhilesh’s warring uncle Shivpal and Amar Singh, often described as an outsider by the CM’s camp, were kept out of Tuesday’s confabulations. However, party insiders said the long meeting ended without finding any common ground.
The main bone of contention was the post of party president, which Mr. Akhilesh had snatched from his father at a party meeting in Lucknow on January 1.
Mr. Mulayam asserts he is still party president and wants Mr. Akhilesh to give up his claim. But, the 43-year-old Chief Minister, who claims the backing of a majority of leaders and lawmakers in the party, is in no mood to give it up.
He is adamant that he will hold the post for three months and will relinquish it once the U.P. elections are over, SP leaders said.
Mr. Akhilesh has dig in his heels as he does not trust his father’s closest aides — Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh — and wants that they be kept away from crucial decision-making during this period, they said.
Mr. Akhilesh has been demanding removal of Mr. Shivpal from the post of the SP’s U.P. chief and sacking of Mr. Amar Singh. But, both his demands have not been entertained by Mr. Mulayam leading to the logjam in the party in the poll-bound State.
Meanwhile, the two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh, which have staked claim over the party and its election symbol ‘cycle’ ahead of Assembly elections, will be heard by Election Commission on January 13, the poll panel said.
