The family feud has sent ripples down to the SP’s district office in Etawah. A heavy police contingent has been deployed here to ensure that supporters of the two groups do not clash. The office is located just 100 metres from party’s patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s house. The trouble started after the newly appointed state party chief, Naresh Uttam, appointed Gopal Yadav as Etawah party chief in place of Sunil Singh Yadav, who was appointed by Mulayam’s brother Shivpal Singh Yadav. Uttam had, on Thursday, asked Gopal to form a new district executive committee. Sunil Yadav claimed he had passed a resolution earlier that refused to recognise this convention and would not vacate the office without Mulayam’s approval. Gopal Yadav claimed to have already taken charge from the office secretary at the district headquarters. Party state secretary Ashok Yadav, who belongs to Etawah and was present at the party office on Friday, said he has asked both Gopal and Sunil to wait for the outcome on the issue, which is expected after January 9.
