The fight for the soul of the Samajwadi Party intensified on Sunday with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav staging a coup of sorts by installing himself as the national president of the party, knocking uncle Shivpal Yadav off the power pyramid and expelling bête noire Amar Singh from the party. While party chief Mulayam Singh tried to snatch back control by suspending Akhilesh loyalist Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years—for the second time in three days and thrice within a few months—the situation remained fluid. As things stood in a fast-changing scenario, the scoreline read 3-0 in favour of Akhilesh.
On Friday, Mulayam had suspended Akhilesh for releasing a list of loyalists parallel to the official list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections but withdrew it the next day after over 200 MLAs met the chief minister and pledged their support as against just 20 on the other side. The suspension had also triggered widespread frenzy and a couple of self-immolations, a form of protest UP is not quite familiar with. On Saturday it appeared Mulayam had kissed and made up with his son. Preening at the 2-0 score, Akhilesh went for the kill.
The war in the Yadav clan first erupted in September last when Akhilesh took away key portfolios from Shivpal, then a minister. Mulayam rehabilitated Shivpal by making him SP’s State unit president, recognising his organisational skills. That was when he suspended Ram Gopal for the first time but rolled it back a few weeks later. That was Akhilesh’s first victory. The second rollback of action against Ram Gopal came on Saturday.
Though the situation is yet to crystallise, Akhilesh has emerged from his dad’s shadow and clearly grown in stature while Mulayam’s stock has shrunk. While the purge can only benefit the SP in the long run, its electoral fallout this year depends on how well Akhilesh can use it to shake off anti-incumbency.