In a big reward to Akhilesh Yadav, the election commission on Monday recognised the faction headed by him as the Samajwadi Party and allotted the reserved symbol 'Bicycle' to it for contesting the coming Assembly elections.
“The group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol "Bicycle" for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968,” said the concluding paragraph of EC’s 42-page order issued on Monday evening.
“A mere look at the figures given in the table will evidently demonstrate that Akhilesh Yadav enjoys overwhelming majority support, both among the legislative and organizational wing of the party,” said the EC.
The verdict comes a day ahead of the start of the filing of nominations in the seven-phased polls in the state beginning on February 11. It was on January 1 when Akhilesh Yadav hijacked the party by replacing Mulayam Singh, as Samajwadi Party president.
The decision from the poll panel has established Akhilesh Yadav legal status as the SP’s undisputed leader. The decision also came as a big boost for Akhilesh to approach the elections with greater energy and confidence and will provide to him an opportunity to negate the “anti-incumbency” factor. Moreover, it would also help in image building of the young leader making him favourites among the youth voters of the state.
Sources in the Samajwadi party said that very soon a grand alliance between SP, Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal will be announced and Akhilesh would emerge leader of the third strong force in the crucial poll battle with the BSP and the BJP being the other claimants.
Reacting to the EC order, a jubilant Ramgopal Yadav said, "The EC took the right decision as they (Mulayam camp) did not have any supporting documents to claim symbol and party name." "The Chief Minister is very happy," he said.
About party's plans for an alliance with Congress in the state for the coming elections, he said, "The party president will be deciding it. I hope it will happen."
The poll panel has observed that realizing the urgency of the matter in view of the fast approaching general elections, particularly in the state of Uttar Pradesh where the first notification calling the general election for the first phase from 73 Assembly Constituencies is scheduled to be notified on January 17, the Commission fixed an urgent hearing in the matter on January 13..
According to the order, the notices were sent to both the factions and the Commission again specifically directed both the groups that if they have any further documents to submit, they should do so by January 12.
The order said that Mulayam Singh Yadav group did not file any affidavit of any members of Parliament or state legislature or of any delegates to claim any support among those members for his group. In all his replies, Mulayam Singh Yadav only made the contention that there was no split in the party.
Election Commission says group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use the 'Bicycle' symbol
Even in the earlier reply to the EC, Mulayam Singh had nothing much to say as the EC order mentioned, “Mulayam Singh Yadav, with his reply dated January 9 did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any member of Parliament or State Legislature or of any delegates; nor did he make claim of any support among the aforesaid category of members for his group, inspite of the fact that he had been specifically directed to file all such affidavits in support of his claim.”
To stake his claim on the party symbol, Akhilesh Yadav camp had submitted six boxes full of support pledges signed by party men who had also attended his January 1 convention and voted him national president in place of Mulayam Singh.
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