In yet another twist on the on-going tussle within the Samajwadi Party, supremo Mulayam Singh on Saturday revoked the expulsions of his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and his cousin and party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, hours after the former clearly outmanoeuvred his father in a show of strength here.
The two Yadavs had been expelled from the party on Friday for “gross indiscipline” and rebelling against the supremo’s pick of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Also, in a boost to the Akhilesh camp, the “emergency national convention” of the party, called by Mr. Ramgopal Yadav, will be held as scheduled on Sunday. Only the location has been changed from the Ram Manohar Lohia University to the sprawling Jnaneshwar Mishra Park.
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Mr. Mulayam Singh deputed his brother and Akhilesh’s bête noire Shivpal Yadav to announce the decision revoking the expulsions. “On Netaji’s orders, CM Akhilesh Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav have been reinstated and their expulsion revoked with immediate effect," said Mr. Shivpal, who is the Samajwadi Party State president.
“We will fight communal forces together and again form a full majority government in Uttar Pradesh," Mr. Shivpal said, putting up a show of unity in the party that seemed on the verge of a split on Friday.
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Azam Khan brokers truce
Mr. Shivpal also said the SP could soon release a consolidated list of candidates.
The decision was announced after Mr. Akhilesh met his father in Lucknow in an attempt to chalk out a truce. Senior minister Azam Khan, who was present at the meeting, is said to have brokered peace between the father and son.
He earlier held separate meetings with Mr. Mulayam Singh and Mr. Akhilesh and urged the former to revoke the expulsions.