Samajwadi Party battle: Mulayam accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal and Jaya Prada visits EC

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will meet the Election Commission of India (EC) officials on Monday. Earlier in the day, Mulayam called off the party meet, which was scheduled to take place January 5 in Lucknow. State president Shivpal Yadav made the announcement of the development on Twitter.

Shivpal gave no reasons for the cancellation of the meeting, however, sources said that Mulayam camp was apprehensive of a poor turnout. In another tweet, Shivpal asked the SP workers to concentrate on their respective constituencies and work hard to win the elections.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav is the SP national president even now and will continue to be. I will be with netaji till I die," he said.

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#Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada leaves Election Commission

#Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada reach Election Commission

Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada leaves his residence to visit Election Commission pic.twitter.com/mUO8NqfNDe

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 2, 2017

#Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by Amar Singh, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Jaya Prada leaves his residence to visit Election Commission

"No one can accuse me of wrongdoing. I have never indulged in corruption or betrayed anyone," Mulayam said on Monday.

On Sunday, Ramgopal Yadav convened a meeting which was attended by top party leaders including Reoti Raman Singh and vice-president Kironmoy Nanda, who extended support to UP CM Akhilesh. This indicated a clear shift of balance of power in the party.

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Calling it “unconstitutional”, Mulayam and Shivpal did not attend the meet.

“Netaji will continue to be my father, I will be his son. Nobody can end that relationship. As my responsibility, I will step up to sacrifice anything to save the party or family,” Akhilesh said.

Mulayam had expelled his son Akhilesh and brother Ramgopal from the party, however, the expulsion was revoked the next day.

Plenary powers may have to be used by the EC to decide which reival group in the real Samajwadi Party which can contest the UP elections under the symbol “cycle”. 

For this, the EC will have to undertake the long-drawn process of the ‘Rule of Majority and Numerical Strength’ envisaged in Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.