Akhilesh Yadav had made his party symbol - the cycle - immensely popular during the last UP elections
Mulayam Singh Yadav has reached the office of the Election Commission in Delhi to personally explain why he should be granted the Samajwadi Party's "cycle" symbol for next month's Uttar Pradesh elections. He has been challenged for both the symbol and the post of Samajwadi Party president by his son and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who claims the support of an overwhelming majority of party leaders and workers. Akhilesh Yadav is in Lucknow and will be represented at the Election Commission hearing today by his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, who is steering his rebellion against his father.
Here are the 10 latest developments:
The Election Commission will hear both sides today before deciding which faction will get the "cycle" symbol to contest the UP elections. It could also decide to "freeze" the symbol allotting it to neither father nor son.
Team Akhilesh has plan B ready and will ask for the "motorcycle" as its symbol if it does not get the cycle today, sources close to him have said. The motorcycle, they say, represents a step up from the cycle, made wildly popular in the last elections by Akhilesh Yadav, who rode one across hundreds of miles while campaigning.
After a long discussion with his son earlier this week failed to resolve their differences, Mulayam Singh Yadav vowed to "save the cycle" which he has described as his signature. Mulayam Singh Yadav launched the Samajwadi Party 25 years ago with the cycle as its election symbol.
Team Mulayam has not indicated whether it has an alternative symbol in mind if it fails to get the cycle today. Mulayam Singh has an offer from a registered but unrecognised party called the Lok Dal to use its symbol - a farmer ploughing his field - if it does not.
But Sunil Singh, the UP politician who has offered Mulayam Singh his symbol said the Samajwadi Party patriarch "is hopeful that the feud will be settled and the cycle symbol will not be frozen."
Mulayam Singh has made a big climbdown saying he has no dispute with his son, who will be projected as the party's chief minister. He had earlier said that only he would decide after the elections who will be chief minister if the Samajwadi Party gets re-elected.
But Akhilesh Yadav has refused to step down as Samajwadi Party president - his father's post that he appropriated at a big party meeting on January 1 - till after the UP elections, as he reportedly fears that Mulayam Singh will again be influenced in key decisions by his uncle Shivpal Yadav and politician Amar Singh.
Akhilesh has reportedly told his supporters not too "get trapped in the symbol dispute," also telling them on Thursday, "It is before the Election Commision and will get resolved tomorrow."
Nominations for the first phase of elections in UP start in four days, but the Samajwadi Party is yet to finalise candidates, with both Mulayam and Akhilesh releasing separate lists for many seats.
Elections will be held in seven phases in UP starting February 11, and nominations for the first phase begin on January 17. Votes will be counted on March 11.
Post a comment