Row Over Uttar Pradesh Polls: Mulayam expels CM from party

In a major political development, Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday expelled his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party, capping weeks of feud within the family and the party.

The action by Mulayam came ahead of crucial state legislature elections in the state due early next year.

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The senior Yadav also expelled his cousin and senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for the second time in months for allegedly “spoiling the career of the chief minister”.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo said both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal were sacked for weakening the party.

“I had made Akhilesh chief minister and now he does not even consult me,” said the father as he announced the son's expulsion.

The father would not immediately say who would be the chief minister in place of Akhilesh.

The SP had appeared set for a split for some months now and the turning point came after Ram Gopal, a staunch supporter of the chief minister, called an emergency meeting of the party yesterday in defiance of the party chief.

The father and the son were also at loggerheads with each other over the list of SP candidates for the elections.

Mulayam had earlier issued a show cause notice asking his son why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for releasing a parallel list of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh elections, which includes several party leaders who are close to him and who did not make it to the official list released by his father a day before. The list released by Mulayam did not contain the names of a number of key aides of Akhilesh.

Mulayam has called a meeting today of all candidates named by him in what is seen as a move to show his unchallenged supremacy as the party boss.

Akhilesh in recent months got involved in a bitter power tussle with his uncle Shivpal Yada who is the party's UP unit chief and was present by Mulayam Singh's side when he expelled the chief minister. Mulayam has consistently supported his younger brother. 

The official Samajwadi Party list of candidates has in it several persons close to Shivpal and whose candidacy has been fiercely opposed by Akhilesh Yadav.

The schedule of elections to UP's 403-strong legislature are expected to be announced by the Election Commission next week.