LUCKNOW: As the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav stunned the political circle by expelling his son Akhilesh Yadav and party national General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, a vertical split in the ruling
party seemed imminent. The move pushed the party into an unprecedented crisis just before the upcoming elections in the state on Friday evening when.
Beyond any doubt, the action against Akhilesh is the result of his defiance against his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav time and again. His audacity to release a parallel list of 235 candidates a day after the official list had been out came as last straw. Not only this, Akhilesh has not left even a single chance to oppose uncle and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav who enjoys Mulayam’s confidence and unflinching support. In the process, Akhilesh carved out a picture of party rebel for himself who was revolting against mighty Mulayam.
Mulayam said it in as many words that he was sacking the two to save the party as they were indulging in gross indiscipline. “Ram Gopal is spoiling Akhilesh’s future,” he told media persons, though Ram Gopal retorted that their sacking was unconstitutional.
Now, when the SP poster boy till a few hours back, stands expelled from the party for the next six years, has a very few options in this fight of prestige. To begin with, Akhilesh may move further on the path of defiance and effect a split from the parent party forming his own outfit. However, still young in terms of
political experience, his success in the upcoming elections minus the party paraphernalia is questionable. However, he may try to stitch alliance with parties like Congress.
Second option for the beleaguered Chief Minister could be to tender an unconditional apology to douse the flare-up, however, that seems a remote possibility in the present scenario as he is riding high on the strength of his support base in the party with uncle Ram Gopal standing firmly beside him.
He can also use opportunity to pose a martyr by tendering his resignation to the Governor and recommending dissolution of the Assembly. As per the constitutional experts, the Governor in such a scenario can ask him to continue as the care taker chief minister till elections which are just two months away in the state.
At the same time, the Governor may accept his resignation and ask the SP MLAs to elect a new leader who can replace Akhilesh. However, according to Naik, it was SP’s internal matter and there was no
constitutional crisis as such for the Akhilesh Government.
“I am monitoring the situation. If need be, I will take a suitable constitutional action,” said Naik while talking to media.
“In case the SP MLAs reach out to the Governor and convince him that Akhikesh has lost their support, then the governor may ask him to prove his majority on the floor of the house,” says Subhash Kashyap, the constitutional expert.
But the most probable option which the expelled Chief Minister may go for could be continuing with his list and fielding of candidates in all seats on different symbols against the party’s official candidates effecting a huge dent to Samajwadis in the state relegating the party to third spot in the upcoming elections.