SP leadership closes door on

Akhilesh Yadav loyalists

M Tariq Khan

tariq.khan@hindustantimes.com

LUCKNOW: October 23, 2016

The ongoing crisis in the Samajwadi Party deepened further on Saturday after party leadership hardened its stance against partymen close to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

While on the one hand, party’s state unit chief Shivpal Yadav appointed new office-bearers for youth wing and other frontal organisations virtually closing the door on Akhilesh loyalists, on the other hand the SP leadership expelled CM’s aide and MLC Udaiveer Singh for six years on charges of indiscipline and antiparty activity. Singh had written to Mulayam urging him to hand over the reins of the party to Akhilesh.

The decisions dashed hopes Akhilesh had expressed a function in Lucknow on September 27 that ‘experienced’ party leaders would reconsider expulsion of youth leaders.

Shivpal announced the new office-bearers after he held a meeting with Mulayam. On Friday, during the state executive committee meeting presided over by Shivpal, a resolution was passed that no mercy should be shown to those who flouted party discipline. Significantly, Naresh Uttam, SRS Yadav, Arvind Singh Gope and Rajendra Chowdhary, all special invitees to EC and leaders considered close to Akhilesh, did not attend the meeting.

The newly-appointed leaders include Abhishek Singh ‘Aashu’, a resident of Azamgarh and former Lucknow University Students’ Union president, who has been appointed state president of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha.

Other office-bearers are Farhat Hasan Khan (head, UP minority cell), Anil Verma (president, Mulayam Youth Brigade) Vijay Yadav, a resident of Firozabad ( Lohia Vahini president), Ashutosh Tripathi (general secretary, Lohia Vahini) and Asif Zama Khan (general secretary, SP Yuvjan Sabha).

According to party sources, the hardline approach adopted by senior party leaders to nip indiscipline and rebellion in bud, there is no scope to withdraw the expulsion of youth leaders considered close to Akhilesh.

“They (seven youth leaders) were expelled by ‘Netaji’ and only he can take them back. They will have to approach him,” pointed out an office-bearer on condition of anonymity.

The youth leaders were expelled for shouting slogans against party leadership after Akhilesh was removed as SP’s state president last month.

The expelled leaders include MLCs Sunil Singh Sajan, Anand Bhadauria and Sanjay Lathar, state chief of SP youth brigade Mohd Ebad, state president of SP Yuvjan Sabha Brijesh Yadav, national president of SP youth brigade Gaurav Dubey and state chief of Chhatra Sabha Digvijay Singh Dev.