Mulayam Singh Yadav may get to ride Samajwadi Party ‘cycle’ instead of AKhilesh Yadav and here is why

Lucknow, Jan 3: Amid a bitter family feud and simmering power tussle, both the factions of Samajwadi Party; one led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and the other led by Akhilesh Yadav have approached the Election Commission of India to claim ‘cycle’ symbol. Though the national convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav elected Akhilesh Yadav as the national president of Samajwadi Party, party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav still has upper hand.

According to a report of ANI, sources close to Mulayam Singh Yadav the disqualifications of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and party member Ram Gopal Yadav were never taken back on papers. It means decisions taken at the national convention of January 1, where Akhilesh Yadav was named Samajwadi Party’s national president, would stand nullified.

“It was decided that both Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav won’t conduct the party’s national convention. But they went ahead and hence their disqualification was not revoked,” reported ANI. It means Mulayam Singh Yadav’s case in the Election Commission is strong as only party president can call convention and not disqualified members. Moreover, this could effectively mean that expelled party members cannot seek rights to the Samajwadi Party’s symbol ‘cycle’.

Mulayam Singh Yadav termed the national convention, called by Ram Gopal Yadav where Akhilesh Yadav was named national president of the Samajwadi Party, as ‘unconstitutional’ and dismissed the proposals passed in it as ‘illegal’. Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday visited the Election Commission’s office to seek rights to the Samajwadi Party’s symbol ‘cycle’. This comes a day after Akhilesh’s father and party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav staked claim to the same while asserting that the Samajwadi Party’s “election symbol is my signature”.

At the national convention on Sunday in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav was named president of the Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh then pushed his father into retirement by declaring he would now function as patron and mentor. Mulayam and his aides like Shivpal Singh Yadav and Amar Singh have insisted his faction is the legit Samajwadi Party.