The feud within the ruling SP family has given a golden chance to the opposition to salvo five at the state government. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, slammed the SP government and said tyre of cycle is already punctured, yesterday Akhilesh Yadav ji threw the wheel out.
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# Tyre of cycle is already punctured, yesterday Akhilesh Yadav ji threw the wheel out: Rahul Gandhi
# Just few days before the polls, Akhilesh wants to repair the cycle but it will not be done: Rahul
Rahul Gandhi: Chunav say kuch maheene pehle Akhilesh cycle (mascot of SP) theek karna chahtay hain, voh toh hogi nai pic.twitter.com/5tUGLD3FBY
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 14, 2016
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, amid an all-out war with his uncle and senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, said on Wednesday that "It's a fight in government, not in family."
# CM Akhilesh Yadav cancels all meetings scheduled for today, reaches his Kalidas Marg residence
# Some decisions were taken with consultation with Netaji (Mulayam Singh) & some I took on my own: Akhilesh Yadav, CM UP
# Where have you found a family fight? This is a fight in government, not a family fight: Akhilesh Yadav
# As far as family is concerned, everyone abides by what 'netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) says and will accept his words: Akhilesh Yadav.
#WATCH Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav says "This is a fight in Govt, not family" amid reports of rift in family pic.twitter.com/IHRS2h2t44
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 14, 2016
Earlier in the day, senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was stripped of key portfolios by his nephew and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Wednesday said giving and taking portfolios is the discretion of the CM and he will abide by the decision of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
# Asked about his future course of action, Shivpal said, "I will talk to netaji. People of the state have full faith in netaji and the Samajwadi Party".
# "It is the discretion of CM to give (or take) portfolios and remove officers and keep his advisors. I will follow netaji's directions and will fulfill responsibilities given by him," he told reporters when asked about speculation on his resignation.
# "I will be going to Lucknow and discuss (with party workers). We will fight elections together," he said.
# Over thousand of supporters of Shivpal gathered outside his residence in Saifai and the PWD guest house to express solidarity with him as speculation was rife that he might resign.
Vibaag lena ya dena CM ka adhikaar hota hai: Shivpal Yadav pic.twitter.com/s7YXV34DdW
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 14, 2016
Netaji se baat karne ke baad hi kuch nirnay lenge: Shivpal Yadav on if he will resign as state minister
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 14, 2016
Uttar Pradesh ki janta Netaji aur Samajwadi party ke saath hai: Shivpal Yadav pic.twitter.com/8elZ9aq637
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 14, 2016
Netaji jo bhi faisla lenge vo hume sweekar hai: Shivpal Yadav addressing supporters in Saifai pic.twitter.com/s604rgkh3f
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 14, 2016
What happened on Tuesday
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had on Tuesday stripped his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios, hours after his removal as the party's state unit chief and appointment of the latter in his place.
Sharp differences in the Yadav family came out into the open as the Chief Minister shunted Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal, barely two months after his appointment, setting off a chain of developments that saw the SP supremo ousting his son as state party chief and replacing him with Shivpal.
Hours after Mulayam made his brother and senior cabinet minister the UP unit head of the ruling party, in an angry retort, Akhilesh clipped his uncle's wings by stripping him of the plum PWD, irrigation and cooperative portfolios.
Differences between Akhilesh and Shivpal
Differences between the chief minister and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended, and stalling of Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with SP.
Shivpal was said to have shepherded the merger of Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's QED with the Samajwadi Party.
Singhal was earlier Principal Secretary (Irrigation), a department held by Shivpal.
Hours after Singhal was eased out as the state's top bureaucrat, Mulayam's cousin and SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav wrote to Shivpal, "SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav has appointed you as the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit. It is hoped that with your hard work, you will further strengthen the party."
A copy of the letter was also marked to Akhilesh Yadav. Shivpal is now left with land development, water resources and social welfare ministries.
(With inputs from PTI)