Top leaders clash as SP feud plays out on stage

Chief Mnister Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav. PTI file photo

The feud in UP's ruling Samajwadi Party today came out into the open with a high-voltage drama unfolding in full public view during which party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav sided with his younger brother Shivpal and friend Amar Singh, and reprimanded son Akhilesh Yadav but ruled out his removal as Chief Minister.

Amid speculation about a possible split ahead of the assembly polls, the bitter power struggle in SP's first family played out on stage at a meeting called by its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of party legislators, MPs and other leaders where Akhilesh, blowing hot and cold, first offered to step down in a choked voice but later accused Amar Singh and those close to him of hatching a "conspiracy" against him and his father.

There were sharp exchanges between Akhilesh and Mulayam, who virtually dismissed him as an insignificant entity in UP politics who could not win an election without his support.

"What is your capability? Can you win elections?" he said, snapping at Akhilesh. The bile-filled exchanges came a day after the continuing battle of attrition between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, state SP chief, saw the Chief Minister sacking Shivpal and three other ministers close to him, and Mulayam striking back with vengeance expelling from the party for six years his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav. Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member. has been backing Akhilesh in his fight against Shivpal.

Addressing the gathering Akhilesh ruled out forming a new party, a claim which Shivpal disputed, saying he was prepared to "swear" by his son and "Ganga Jal" that the Chief Minister had told him he would indeed float a new party and contest the assembly polls in alliance with some political party.

The proceedings reached a flashpoint when Akhilesh accused Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh, who recently returned to SP, of having planted a story in a leading English daily in which he was called 'Aurangzeb' and Mulayam 'Shahjahan'. Mughal emperor Shahjahan was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in his last years.

Shivpal, who was standing close by, was seen snatching away the microphone from Akhilesh and calling him a "liar". "The Chief Minister is lying...the Chief Minister is lying," he told the gathering.

Shivpal also demanded that Mulayam take over the helm of the government.

In his speech, Akhilesh sought to scotch speculation that he was planning to form a new party and offered to step down.

"Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest. Why should I form a new party?" he posed in an emotionally choked voice, calling the SP supremo his "pita (father) and guru (teacher).

The Chief Minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrong doing.

At one point, Akhilesh appeared to extend an olive branch when he said,"Rath bhi chaley, sthapana diwas bhi maney (my rath yatra will go on and establishment day of the party will be celebrated)." There has been speculation that he would give the SP's silver jubilee celebration on November 5 by proceeding on his 'rath yatra' two days earlier.

When his turn came, Mulayam Singh said the party was facing a difficult situation and its members should not fight each other. But his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais leading to an abrupt end of the meeting. Both the father and son were seen shouting at each other.

"I can't tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail," Mulayam said admonishing Akhilesh for attacking Amar Singh. "Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother," Mulayam said.

"I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav," he said while describing his brother as a mass leader. "We are facing difficult situation, we should remove our weakness and not fight with each other," Mulayam said.

In the first open attack on his nephew, Shivpal Yadav claimed the Chief Minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls and urged Mulayam to "take over reins of Uttar Pradesh".

Speaking after Akhilesh's denial, Shivpal said, "Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties. I can swear by my son, I can swear by Ganga Jal."

Referring to his long association with the party and his contributions towards strengthening it, Shivpal told Mulayam, "Netaji, there is a need for you to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh."

Making a strong defence of Amar Singh, who is being accused of pitting one against the other in the Yadav family, he said, "Amar Singh ke charanon ki dhool bhi nahi ho aap log (you are not worth even the dirt on Amar Singh's feet)".

The acrimony among the two top SP leaders rubbed off on their supporters too with those backing Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal clashing outside and inside the venue before and after the meeting ended abruptly amid heightened tension on stage.

There were reports that Akhilesh was meeting MLAs supporting him for obtaining their signatures on a memorandum seeking Shivpal's ouster as state Samajwadi Party president which would be submitted to Mulayam for action. Some reports said Shivpal met Akhilesh after the meeting in an attempt to sort out the differences. However, there was no official word from either camps about the developments.