LUCKNOW: The tussle between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and uncle and party state unit chief Shivpal intensified on Monday evening with the reinstatement of another SP MLA Rampal Yadav who was sacked in April this year by Akhilesh, who was then holding the post of party’s state chief.
It is believed that Rampal Yadav’s expulsion was revoked by the party leadership on insistence of Shivpal Rampal, party MLA from Biswan seat of Sitapur, was expelled from the party for allegedly indulging in illegal activities, especially construction, and other irregularities thereby, tarnishing party image.
Before being expelled from the party, Rampal’s was suspended for indiscipline early this year during the panchayat polls when he fielded his son against the party’s official candidate for the post of district Panchayat chairman.
His woes compounded when, he along with his cohorts, attacked and manhandled the team of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) officials who had gone to demolish his illegal complex and some other constructions.
Subsequently, Rampal with one of his relatives and MLA Rajendra Yadav and eight supporters was arrested for the brazenness. He was then sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court after being booked under various sections of IPC including 307 (attempt to murder) and 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act in the case.
However, the annulment of his expulsion has apparently come in the wake of the fresh spell of fighting erupted in the Samajwadi Party when Akhilesh reportedly handed over a list of his 403 probable candidates to his father and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on late Sunday night.
It is believed that the Chief Minister, who had held a meeting of 75 sitting MLAs on December 24, had asked the first-timers to be poll ready in their respective constituencies.
Although there was no official confirmation about the list, sources told TNIE that Akhilesh has changed about 35-40 names already selected by Shivpal in his list of 175 candidates that he has declared so far.
Akhilesh has also dropped the names of candidates like mafia don-turned politician Atiq Khan, the tainted Ansari borthers and Aman Mani Tripathi who is in CBI custody in connection with his wife Sara murder case.
Right after reports of Akhilesh preparing his own list, Shivpal took to Twitter to assert his role as boss saying that party would not tolerate indiscipline of any kind from any quarter. He said that 175 candidates declared by him were final and that winnability was the only criteria for the candidates to get ticket.
Later in the day, Shivpal met SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at his residence for four hours in the presence of State minister Gayatri Prajapati. Emerging from the meeting, Shivpal, however, denied any
rift within the party over ticket distribution issue. “There is no rift, no confusion. It is all created by media which has blown the issue out of proportion,” said the SP state chief.
Speaking to the media persons, Shivpal said that after the announcement of poll dates, everything would be set right.
“All the leaders are being consulted and taken in loop on the issue of tickets. The final decision on the candidates, however, will be that of Netaji,” he claimed.
On the other, Akhilesh loyalists also started speaking up openly batting for the chief minister as the party face in the upcoming elections.
Sacked MLC Sanjay Lathhar, who is supposed to be close to Akhilesh, accused the party leadership of going ahead with ticket distribution without Akhilesh’s consent much against its assurance that chief minister would have a prominent role in deciding party candidates. Also, Akhilesh would now embark on the next round of his Vijay Yatra, starting from Bundelkhand on Wednesday.