TWO DAYS after he seized control of the Samajwadi Party and ousted his father as its national president, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav spent more than three hours with Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday. Uncle Shivpal Yadav, who was removed as state party chief, joined Akhilesh at Mulayam’s residence in Lucknow. There was no word on what transpired at the meeting, but speculation was rife that father and son would make peace again. The meeting was held hours after Ram Gopal Yadav, SP leader and adviser to the CM, met the three Election Commissioners in New Delhi to apprise them of Akhilesh’s appointment as party president. The meeting lasted about half an hour. With the announcement of elections to the UP Assembly expected soon, the Akhilesh and Mulayam camps are both staking claim to the SP’s ‘cycle’ symbol. Mulayam and Shivpal had approached the Election Commission on Monday. Apart from claiming the poll symbol, they are also learnt to have stressed the illegality of the party convention on Sunday where Akhilesh was named SP chief. Ram Gopal is learnt to have told the EC that the convention on Sunday was attended by majority of party MPs, MLAs and MLCs. “The purpose was to let the EC know that the faction led by Akhilesh is the real party. But there was no direct reference to the party symbol,” said a source. Read full story here.
