Rift in SP: Mulayam Singh may announce new party with Lok Dal today

After rift with his son Akhilesh Yadav and battle of reign in the Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to announce a new party on Monday along with virtually defunct Lok Dal. He may also retain ‘Samajwadi’ tag in its name, according to sources in the two parties.

The speculations about the new party came on Saturday when the veteran leader and his brother Shivpal Yadav stayed away from a state convention of the party. To everybody’s shock, the duo said they were not invited.

Lok Dal president Sunil Singh while talking to PTI said, “Mulayam will hold a press conference at the Lohia Trust office here tomorrow to announce a new party with Lok Dal.”

The word ‘samajwadi’ (socialist) will be retained in the name of the new party, he said.

Even as the SP prepared for the convention, sources said the two brothers pondered over formation of a secular front under the banner of Lok Dal, hinting fresh differences in the party weakened already by the factional feud which proved to be its nemesis in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

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The strains were palpable ahead of its state and national convention, with Mulayam replacing Akhilesh Yadav-loyalist Ram Gopal with Shivpal Yadav as the secretary of the Lohia Trust.

Shivpal had announced in June that he would float the Samajwadi Secular Front “to fight communal forces”.

“As there is no sign of any truce, it is a crucial time for Shivpal to decide his future course,” a close confidant of Shivpal said.

Asked about Singh’s claims that the two brothers will work under the banner of Lok Dal, another Shivpal-loyalist said, “Mulayam may not like to shun the Samajwadi tag. The situation will be clear tomorrow when netaji (Mulayam) will disclose his future course of action.”

On September 21, Mulayam Singh Yadav removed Ram Gopal Yadav from the post of Lohia trust’s secretary and appointed Shivpal Singh Yadav.

The decision was taken after a meeting of trust was convened in Lucknow the same day. The move displayed that cracks still persist within the party.

(With PTI inputs)

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