Shivpal Yadav (left) and nephew Akhilesh (centre) are locked in tussle ahead of UP elections next year.
Highlights
- Shivpal Yadav announces sacking of Akhilesh loyalist from party
- Pawan Pandey, a minister, sacked for 'indiscipline and harassment'
- Shivpal locked in power tussle with nephew Akhilesh Yadav
Mulayam Singh Yadav's assertion that his "
family and party stand united", is being tested less than 24 hours later, with brother Shivpal Yadav announcing that an Uttar Pradesh minister has been sacked from the Samajwadi Party.
Tej Narayan Pandey aka Pawan Pandey, close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, has been expelled by Shivpal, the party's UP chief, on charges of "indiscipline and harassment".
Shivpal Yadav said he had requested the Chief Minister to remove Mr Pandey from his government. "I had written a letter to the CM... People who are undisciplined need to be removed from the party," he said on Wednesday morning.
Pawan Pandey had allegedly assaulted a party lawmaker who is close to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, when supporters of Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav clashed in Lucknow two days ago.
Today's sackings are more evidence that Mulayam Singh's best efforts to
broker peace between his younger brother and son ahead of crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh are tenuous.
When he addressed a press conference on Tuesday to declare that is all well in his family and party, he had next to him Shivpal Yadav, who he has backed in his long-running dispute with son Akhilesh. The chief minister was missing.
Mulayam Singh has made it clear that though the Chief Minister will be allowed to complete his term, it cannot be assumed that he will get a second term if the Samajwadi Party wins the Uttar Pradesh election to be held early next year.
Akhilesh Yadav, 43, has dismissed speculation that he will launch his own party. He told NDTV yesterday that he will not quit his father's party even if he is removed as Chief Minister.
Team Akhilesh alleges that Shivpal is eyeing the chief minister's post if the Samajwadi Party wins. It has
accused party general secretary Amar Singh of plotting Akhilesh's ouster with Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh has reportedly conveyed to his father that he needs Shivpal and Amar Singh sidelined.
Last month, Mulayam Singh removed Akhilesh as head of the party in Uttar Pradesh, replacing him with Shivpal, which meant that the crucial authority of deciding candidates was transferred away from the Chief Minister.