A fresh tussle between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) state president Shivpal Yadav has exposed fault-lines in the ruling Yadav family in Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi parivar still seems to be embroiled in infighting. As a result, the SP looks inept to exploit the issue of demonetisation in their ongoing election campaign.
Demonetisation is all but the central issue in this UP Assembly election and an aggressive poll campaign would’ve put dust on the past troubles of the Yadav camp. SP national president and founder Mulayam Singh Yadav had lambasted both son Akhilesh and brother Shivpal after a much publicised party meeting in October where he asserted his authority in the SP.
However, on Sunday Akhilesh Yadav submitted his own list of candidates for the elections against Shivpal’s list where he rejected several of Shivpal’s choices and questioned their competence and chances to win the elections, much to the ire of his father.
This move gives clear hints that Mulayam’s efforts were only able to temporarily pacify the situation and both Akhilesh and Shivpal would wait a few months till they get closer to elections to make their move.
Just as hope was emerging for the revival of a united Samajwadi Party, both the camps dragged the party back into another controversy. Demonetisation was in many ways god sent for the SP as that swept all issues away from the public conscience, including SP’s infighting. But Akhilesh and Shivpal are unable to keep their differences behind them.
