LUCKNOW: In a new twist to ongoing crisis in ruling Samajwadi Party, the party’s national convention created history on the dawn of 2017 by appointing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav party’s new national president and divesting Shivpal Singh Yadav of his responsibilities as party’s state unit chief. The national convention also sacked party’s national general secretary Amar Singh, however, retained party president Mulayam Singh Yadav in the role of party patron by passing three resolutions here on Sunday morning.
However, the legal sanctity of the resolution was still doubtful as the present national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had declared this convention ‘unconstitutional’ just an hour before it was to start
threatening an action against all those party workers who would attend it here on Sunday morning.
Introducing the three resolutions, party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav launched a direct attack on party state unit chief Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh without naming them and accused them of destabilising the party by conniving against Akhilesh Yadav government and his supporters.
“Two persons in the party have been acting against Akhilesh Yadav as they do not want him to return to power as chief minister even when his victory is imminent,” said Ram Gopal while addressing party men at the national convention. He added that those forces were acting as per their own whims and had defied party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on several occasions in the recent past.
After the passage of resolutions, Chief Minister Akhilesh yadav also targeted the ‘two persons’ for ruining the party by conniving against party president and the party itself. Claiming that they were taking the party on path of goons and criminals and spoiling its chances of returning to power. “When we will return to power with unprecedented mandate, I know, Netaji will be the happiest person,” he said.
He also said that these decision were crucial at this juncture as he was fearing that those elements surrounding ‘Netaji’ at the moment could make him sign on anything in the melee by misguiding him. “With just two-three months of this government remaining, this was a dangerous situation, so we took the party responsibility in our own hands,” Akhilesh added.
He assured the party leaders and workers that the honour and respect of Mulayam Singh Yadav would always remain intact. ”Netaji will always remain party mentor. He will continue to guide all of us,” said Akhilesh at national convention on Sunday.
Delivering an emotional speech, Akhilesh said that he won’t let anybody come between him and his father. “No one can rule out this father-son relationship. It will always be there and I take this pledge to save Netaji’s pride at any cost,” he resolved.
The national executive was presided over by party’s senior leader and national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda. Majority of party leaders—old and new generation—including the likes Rewati Raman Singh, Beni Prasad Verma, Ahmad Hassan and Naresh Agarwal along with the entire youth brigade and majority of district presidents of the party were present at the emergency national convention here at Janeshwar Mishra Park. However, senior party leader and state cabinet minister Azam Khan remained elusive from both the camps.
Meanwhile, in the wake of today’s developments, the security in and around Chief Minister residence and SP Headquarters was increased.