A high alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh after the ongoing war in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) turned for worse on Friday with expulsion of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav.
Officials said instructions have been sent to all District Magistrates and police chiefs following protests by Akhilesh supporters. Security meanwhile has been beefed up outside the SP headquarters in the state capital, the Chief Minister's residence, and the house of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Samajwadi Party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a major political development on Friday evening, sacked Akhilesh Yadav from all party posts for six years.
Along with the CM, Mulayam also sacked his cousin and party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav for a similar time period.
This has come within hours after Ram Gopal called for an emergency meeting of the Samajwadi Party representatives on January 1.
Sources said that the meeting could see Akhilesh’s anointment as the party’s national president, thus handing him control over SP, a party that was formed by his father and octogenarian leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has held the CM’s post thrice, before handling over the reins of the state to his son, who is in his fifth year in office.
This has caused panic in the MSY camp. What makes matters worse for them is the fact that around 75 per cent of the party MLAs are said to be in support of Akhilesh.
MSY, in a hurried called press conference, while sacking both his son and cousin, termed the party representative meeting, called by Ram Gopal, unconstitutional and warned party members not to attend it.
Ram Gopal, who came on national TV minutes after his brother concluded his press conference, stood his ground and said that he was within the limits to call for executive meeting.
Given the aggression of both the warring factions, a compromise is unlikely within the SP clan, and the party is set for a split.
(With IANS inputs)
