Lucknow: The rift between Chacha-Bhatija is out in open and disturbance created within the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav replaced his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh as the state unit chief with his brother and senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.
A day after being removed from the post of Samajwadi Party state president, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announced that he would take out a ‘Samajwadi vikas rath yatra’ (chariot march) from October 3.
“From Oct 3, Samajwadi Vikas rath Yatra – Vikas se vijay ki ore,” Akhilesh announced through his Twitter handle with a picture in which he is seen sitting inside a bus.
It is seen as a move to counter uncle Shivpal Yadav, who has been appointed as the new state president of the party in his place.
Akhilesh hit back over his removal from the party post by stripping Shivpal Yadav of his key ministerial portfolios on Tuesday night, bringing the family fued in the open.
Though details of the yatra are not yet known, it is expected that through this programme, Akhilesh will highlight development works initiated by his government.
Earlier, in the day when asked about CM face for 2017, Shivpal in Saifi said, “it will be decided by the party’s parliamentary board and netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav)”.
Earlier
“SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav has appointed you as the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit. It is hoped that with your hard work, you will further strengthen the party,” SP National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said in a letter addressed to Shivpal Singh Yadav.
A copy of the letter was also marked to Akhilesh Yadav.
The development came hours after Akhilesh shunted out state Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal Singh, and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar.
Singhal had taken over as Chief Secretary nearly two months ago.
Disagreements between Akhilesh and Shivpal have been reported on several occasions in the past, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the states chief secretary after Alok Ranjans term ended, and the postponement of Qaumi Ekta Dals merger with SP.