Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav (in pic) has expelled a minister considered close to Akhilesh Yadav
The rift in the Samajwadi Party showed no signs of ending with state unit chief Shivpal Yadav today expelling minister Tej Narain Pandey, who has been in the party for six years. Tej Narain Pandey, who is also known as Pawan Pandey, is considered close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Mr Pandey had allegedly clashed with Samajwadi Party MLC Ashu Malik at a party meet.
"Pawan Pandey is being expelled from Samajwadi Party for six years on charges of indiscipline," Shivpal Yadav announced at a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow.
Shivpal Yadav said that he has written a letter to the chief minister requesting him to sack Mr Pandey from his ministry.
Replying to questions at the press conference, Mr Yadav maintained that there was no dispute in the Samajwadi Party.
Mr Malik had alleged that Mr Pandey had slapped him at the chief minister's residence.
"Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had called me to clarify things related to a news article published in an English daily wherein Akhilesh Yadav was referred to as Aurangzeb and Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh as Shahjahan," Mr Malik had told reporters after the incident.
"When I was at CM's residence, party leader Pawan Pandey came and attacked me. He slapped me twice," he said.
"I was asked to show up as the chief minister wanted to clarify things related to the news article in front of people but my presence was misunderstood by others," he said.
Mr Malik said that Akhilesh Yadav was not present at his residence when the incident took place.
Mr Malik had lodged a written complaint against Mr Pandey accusing him of attacking him, but no FIR has been registered in the matter so far.
Shivpal Yadav's latest move to expel Mr Pandey, who is considered close to Akhilesh Yadav, comes a day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav sought to project an 'all is well' image.
The "party and family are united", Mulayam Singh Yadav had said.
Mulayam Singh had strongly defended party lawmaker Amar Singh, who is being blamed by the Akhilesh Yadav faction for the problems in the family.
There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base," Mulayam Singh Yadav told a hurriedly convened press conferences.
"There is no 'matbhed' (differences) or 'manbhed' (ill feelings) among our leaders," Mr Yadav said.
Asked whether Shivpal Yadav and other sacked ministers would then be reinstated in the Akhilesh cabinet, he had said, "I leave this to CM.... You ask him why he made them ministers and why he sacked them."