Lucknow: The warmth in the relations among the members of the first family evaporated in the winter chill as Samajwadi Party is on the verge of split after Akhilesh Yadav released a separate list of candidates tonight. Though the 235 candidates list of Akhilesh was not issued officially and it was put in the public domain through social media, but the act has put the future of the Samajwadi Party in the stake. Of the candidates list issued by the CM, 171 are sitting SP legislators and rest 64 are other nominees.
Yesterday, Mulayam had issued a list of 325 candidates with denying tickets to several close associates of Akhilesh including three of his ministers. In the CM list there are several seats which have the same candidate in both lists but all the three ministers who were not given ticket by Mulayam were made candidates in CM list. But after the Akhilesh list came in public, Mulayam has summoned his son to his residence tonight and a meeting was underway at present in which Shivpal was also present. However ,there are still effort underway for an amicable solution between Mulayam and Akhilesh .
Earlier, when SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav refused to give tickets to Akhilesh Yadav loyalists, including three ministers prompting the Chief Minister to ask his supporters to go to their constituencies and contest election on different symbols. “We have been asked to contest election as talks with Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) have failed. We are Akhileshwadi and contest the next election on the name of Bhaiya (Akhilesh Yadav). I will return to the assembly – that’s my promise,” said Pawan Pandey, Forest Minister in Akhilesh Yadav government who has been denied a ticket. He is among three ministers, including Arvind Singh Gope and Ram Govind Chaudhury who have been denied ticket. Pandey, a known Akhilesh Yadav loyalist, was expelled from the party after he roughed up a SP leader.
Pandey said that Akhilesh Yadav might release a separate list of over 160 candidates. “Wait for the next scene of this political drama – it will unfurl very soon,” he quipped outside 5, Kalidas Marg, the official residence of Chief Minister. With his political survival in the perils Akhilesh Yadav was forced to take this intransigent stand after his long meeting with Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav failed to yield any result. SP legislator Udayveer Singh Yadav told reporters that Chief Minister was preparing himself for a long political battle. He also did not rule out Amar Singh behind the rejection of the tickets to Akhilesh supporters.
The high voltage drama in Lucknow found its echo in Moradabad where Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha has cancelled rath yatra. President Yuvjan Sabha Vikas Yadav announced cancellation of Yatra in support of Akhilesh Yadav. Earlier, there were reports that Mulayam could accommodate a couple of the ministers, who were denied ticket but later SP president conveyed to his son that there was no question of any “reconsideration” of the names.
The trio- Mulayam- Akhilesh- Shivpal Singh Yadav-- had a close door meeting at the residence of Mulayam this afternoon ,which lasted for about an hour in which Akhilesh pleaded to accommodate some candidates including ministers in his government who can win election. The crisis in the party aggravated after release of the candidates’ list on Wednesday where close confidants of Shivpal were given prominence while Akhilesh's supporters were given the cold shoulder. Reports suggest that of 325 candidates 162 are hand picked by Shivpal Singh Yadav. (Eds:Pick up from earlier takes) (UNI)