Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh on Monday night extended an olive branch to his son Akhilesh, saying the latter would continue to be the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh if the party retains power, even as the two factions escalated their fight in the Election Commission (EC) for the bicycle symbol.
“Akhilesh will be the next chief minister. Our party is completely united. There is no question of the party breaking up,” Mr Mulayam said.
The surprise statement came on a day when the Akhilesh camp sought an early decision from the EC on the party symbol, while the embattled SP patriarch asserted that he was still the party chief.
Mr. Mulayam has so far insisted that the newly elected MLAs would choose their leader after the polls.
Talking to reporters in Lucknow, Mr. Mulayam said there were “no differences” between him and Mr. Akhilesh, but “one person has influenced his son”, which had led to “problems in the party” — an apparent reference to Mr. Ramgopal Yadav, who organised the party convention on January 1 that declared Mr Akhilesh as party chief.
“We will very soon tour the entire State to send out a message of unity. All the confusion that was there is ending. Akhilesh will be the next Chief Minister,” Mr. Mulayam said.
Earlier, Mr. Mulayam and his confidants, Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh and former SP State unit president Shivpal Yadav, met top EC officials to claim majority support in the party. Though the Mulayam camp did not submit any fresh documents, it asserted he was still the SP chief and had legal claim over the party and its symbol.
Mr. Mulayam also told the Commission that the Akhilesh camp convention was “unconstitutional” as Mr. Ramgopal was expelled from the party on December 30, 2016.
