Samajwadi Party's Shivpal Yadav, rebelling against Akhilesh Yadav, wanted Mulayam Singh as chief minister
Highlights
- Akhilesh Yadav, uncle Shivpal Yadav were engaged in a public feud
- Shivpal Yadav had resigned from UP cabinet, party posts on Thursday
- Akhilesh Yadav met father Mulayam today, rejected Shivpal's resignation
Hours after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav appeared to have enforced a truce between his son Akhilesh Yadav and brother Shivpal Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister tweeted this evening to say his uncle Shivpal will get back the three important ministries that were taken away from him earlier this week.
Also, Gayatri Prajapati, sacked by Akhilesh as mining minister earlier this week over allegations of corruption will also be reinstated. Mr Prajapati is said to be close to both Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh.
Mulayam Singh, Shivpal and Akhilesh Yadav met for 30 minutes this afternoon after the Samajwadi Party chief asserted, "There will no division in the party till I am here," adding, "we are a big family, differences may occur."
"I have two duties, as chief minister and as son. I will honour the word of the party president and I will do everything to make my father happy," Akhilesh Yadav told NDTV. This morning he rejected his uncle Shivpal's resignation from his cabinet.
Shivpal Yadav, in a short address to his supporters outside his home, said, "Netaji's (Mulayam Singh's) word is final."
The tussle between Akhilesh Yadav and uncle Shivpal for supremacy was threatening to derail the party months before crucial assembly elections in the state.
The feud played out in public all this week, ending in Shivpal Yadav faxing his resignation from the UP cabinet to Akhilesh Yadav and also quitting all party posts.
Trusted by Mulayam Singh as the party's key election strategist, Shivpal is said to have pressed for the removal of Akhilesh as chief minister, urging his brother to take over.