Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has been expelled from the Samajwadi Party for six years by his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. He has also expelled his cousin and senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for the second time in months. “Both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal have been sacked for weakening the party,” Mulayam Singh Yadav said.
Mulayam Singh said, “I made Akhilesh chief minister and now he does not even consult me,” he was sacking the son to ‘save the party’. Making the announcement at a press conference, Mulayam Singh said the new chief minister will be chosen by the Samajwadi Party. Elections in UP are expected to be announced any day now.
“We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal,” Mulayam Singh said.
He explained that the decision was taken after Ram Gopal, in his capacity as general secretary, called an emergency meeting of the party on January 1st and Akhilesh supported it.
Hundreds of party workers have gathered outside Akhilesh Yadav’s Lucknow residence raising slogans in his support, about 80 percent of the Samajwadi party’s 224 lawmakers in the UP assembly support Akhilesh Yadav and are likely to turn up.
With regard to the emergency meeting called by Ram Gopal on Sunday, Mulayam Singh said only the party president has the power to convene such a meeting. “The party cannot run on Ram Gopal’s whims,” Mulayam Singh said.
“Ram Gopal has not only indulged in indiscipline but is causing a big harm to the party.” said Mulayam Singh. “As of now we have expelled him, but we will take further action against him,” he added.
