Election Commission will give its verdict on Samajwadi Party symbol "cycle" today
Highlights
- Mulayam Singh indicated that split is inevitable with son Akhilesh
- Mr Singh alleges his son hasn't given a single seat to a Muslim candidate
- Mr Yadav expected to announce alliance with Congress and other parties
As the Samajwadi Party awaits the Election Commission's verdict on who will get the party's "cycle" symbol to contest the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, a resigned Mulayam Singh Yadav indicated that a split is inevitable with attempts to build a compromise with son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav coming to naught. "Akhilesh came to meet me, but did not even hear me out," the father told about 500 workers at the party's Lucknow office, also stating that he expects the poll panel's decision on the symbol at 4 pm and will "abide by it."
Here are the 10 latest developments in this big story
Mulayam Singh alleged that Akhilesh Yadav has assigned not a single seat to a Muslim candidate in his list for the UP elections. He said he was worried his son was being seen as a "Muslim baiter." The Samajwadi Party draws significant support from UP's nearly 19 per cent Muslim voters.
Mulayam Singh, who was deposed by son Akhilesh as party president at a meeting earlier this month, again accused his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav of "destroying the party." Ram Gopal Yadav has steered Akhilesh Yadav's rebellion against his father and other uncle Shivpal Yadav and is accused by them of "misguiding" the Chief Minister.
Akhilesh Yadav is expected to announce an alliance with the Congress and other smaller parties like Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal or RLD once the symbol tussle is settled. Mulayam Singh has opposed any pre-election alliance for the Samajwadi Party.
While Mulayam Singh has appeared personally, Akhilesh Yadav has been represented by Ram Gopal Yadav at the Election Commission to stake claim to the party symbol. Mulayam Singh has said the meeting called to declare Akhilesh party president in his place was illegal and there are no factions.
Trying hard to prevent a split, Mulayam Singh had last week effected a climbdown by stating that Akhilesh Yadav would be projected as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate again, but a meeting between father and son soon after failed to bridge key differences.
The bitter tussle for control over the party, fought for months, came to a head after Akhilesh Yadav refused to accept several candidates chosen by his father and uncle Shivpal for the UP elections and released his own list of candidates.
Team Akhilesh has told the poll panel that the Chief Minister has the support of a majority of party leaders and workers and is now party president and so must be allotted the cycle symbol. As plan B they will ask for the motorcycle.
The Election Commission could choose today not to allot the symbol to either side and "freeze" it for now, sources have said.
Nominations for the first phase of elections in UP begin tomorrow, but the Samajwadi Party is still in disarray with candidates confused on who is contesting on which seat.
Elections in UP will be held in seven phases starting February 11. Votes will be counted on March 11.
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