Mulayam approached EC, Ram Gopal to come with Akhilesh's plea

NEW DELHI: Battle within the Samajwadi Parivar reached the poll panel on Monday as Mulayam Singh Yadav approached EC while Ram Gopal Yadav will come on Tuesday to claim control over the 'cycle' symbol.

Mulayam Singh Yadav along with his brother Shivpal Yadav and close friend Amar Singh travelled to the Election Commission's office in New Delhi to stake claim to the "cycle" symbol of the Samajwadi Party. The party patriarch Mulayam Singh on Monday said, “Samajwadi Party’s election symbol is my signature”.  

Sources said that UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s aides along with Ram Gopal Yadav will come to the Election Commission to make the same claim on Tuesday at around 11.30 am. He was declared the party's chief at a meeting in Lucknow attended by a large number of Samajwadi Party leaders and workers.

The poll panel will now hear the cases of both the sides before taking a final call on the election symbol of the Samajwadi party.

Party insiders said that the decision to meet the poll panel came after Akhilesh camp hinted that it will stake a claim to the party’s symbol ‘cycle’. Party leaders said the new president has to approach the Election Commission according to the party’s convention, claiming to be the real Samajwadi Party and stake claim on the party symbol.

Earlier on Monday, Mulayam Singh reached his New Delhi residence where Shivpal, Amar Singh and Jaya Prada were also present. The four leaders stayed there for hours chalking out the starategy for further course of action. While meeting was going inside the closed doors in New Delhi, supporters were seen outside the residence who had gathered from various parts of the state. They also looked puzzled and did not raise any slogan against Akhilesh or Ram Gopal.

Akhilesh on Sunday at an emergency national convention appointed himself as the national party president removing his father Mulayam Singh from the post. He also replaced state unit chief Shivpal Singh Yadav and expelled Amar Singh who had to cut short his London tour to reach Delhi. However, the convention was declared illegal and unconstitutional by Mulayam Singh.

After the conclusion of the special national convention on Sunday, Ramgopal Yadav, dispatched a letter to the EC intimating it about the election of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as the new national president of the party.

Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada leaves Election Commission pic.twitter.com/ocmeVJNoLi

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 2, 2017

Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada reach Election Commission pic.twitter.com/GVHFyfyiw5

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 2, 2017

Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada leaves his residence to visit Election Commission pic.twitter.com/mUO8NqfNDe

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 2, 2017