LUCKNOW: After scoring a spectacular victory, the Samajwadi Party was today faced with a demand from within for making Akhilesh Yadav, son of party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, the chief minister, as the two leaders met the Governor and staked claim to form the government.
A day after the party romped home to secure a clear majority with 224 seats in a 403-member House, a meeting of the SP parliamentary board was held in which a majority of members pitched for state president Akhilesh Yadav as the next Chief Minister.
"A majority of MLAs are in favour of making Akhilesh the next CM. At the meeting of legislators, they will put in their views on the issue," party national General Secretary Naresh Agarwal told PTI.
However, the final decision would be taken in this regard by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
A number of MLAs, who reached here at the party headquarters met Mulayam Singh Yadav and congratulated him for the victory of the party.
The party decided to hold a meeting of its newly elected legislators on March 10 to decide the new chief Minister.
Though Akhilesh maintained before the media that Mualyam Singh Yadav would be the next Chief Minister, suspense mounted as a number of leaders pressed for Akhilesh's candidature.
"Netaji will be the next CM. The decision has been taken at the party parliamentary board," Akhilesh told reporters after coming out of the parliamentary board meeting.
The legislators' meeting, which was earlier scheduled this evening, was postponed keeping in mind convenience of newly elected MLAs due to the festival of Holi.
In the evening, Mulayam and Akhilesh along with party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury met Governor B L Joshi and staked claim for forming the next government.