Indian party chief reinstates sacked son Akhilesh Yadav
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister is allowed back into his party – a day after his father expelled him.
DNA Evening Must Reads: PM Modi to address nation at 7.30 pm, updates on Mulayam-Akhilesh row, and more
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh back in SP fold, to make poll candidates list with MulayamFaced with an imminent split which could have drastically reduced his clout, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today revoked the expulsion of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Ramgopal, just a day after they were sacked for ‘indiscipline’. Read more hereAmid demonetization row, Rahul Gandhi leaves country to celebrate New YearAccording to various media reports, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly left the country to celebrate New Year in London. Read more herePM Modi’s New Year’s Eve Speech at 7:30 PM.Here’s where you can watch PM Modi’s address. BJP forms govt in Arunachal as Pema Khandu & 32 MLAs join partyIn a fast paced development, a BJP government was today installed in Arunachal Pradesh after 33, out of 43 Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) MLAs led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, joined the saffron brigade in this politically fragile state. Read more hereAamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ ROARS at the Box Office, mints Rs 216.12 crore in 8 days!Aamir Khan ‘s Dangal continues its victory marathon at the ticket windows on Day 8 of its release. Read more here
Last minute patch-up in feud-ridden SP; Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal back
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>After a massive show of strength by Akhilesh Yadav, who was expelled from SP by father Mulayam Singh Yadav, the party supremo on Saturday backed down revoking with immediate effect the expulsion orders of his son and brother Ram Gopal.After hectic confabulations involving Akhilesh Yadav’s warring uncle Shivpal Yadav, Mulayam and the Chief Minister, Shivpal tweeted that on the SP supremo’s directive, expulsion of Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav from SP was being revoked with immediate effect. “I am coming after having met party chief Mulayam Singh along with CM Akhilesh Yadav. Netaji has given the order that the suspension orders of Akhilesh and Ram Gopal are terminated with immediate effect,” Shivpal said. “All of us together will fight communal forces and we will once again form a SP government in UP with full majority. These are my orders. We will hold discussions within ourselves and decide, and prepare for the upcoming elections,” he said. “All matters have been solved and we will fight the upcoming polls together. We will all sit togther with Netaji and I am sure all problems will be resolved,” he said. On a day of fast-paced developments, Akhilesh earlier in the day convened a meeting of SP legislators where over 200 of the 229 party MLAs turned up expressing their loyalty with the chief minister, a day after he was expelled from the party for indulging in “indiscipline”, pushing the ruling party to the precipice of a vertical split.Some SP MLCs and senior party functionaries loyal to Akhilesh also attended the meeting at the chief minister’s official residence at 5-Kalidas Marg.Senior SP leader and UP cabinet minister Azam Khan then arrived at the CM’s residence and after a brief stay, they drove to Mulayam’s bungalow at a stone’s throw distance.
Mamata Banerjee extends support to Akhilesh Yadav, asks him to stay strong
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Extending her support to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee has wished him well and asked him to stay strong. Sources said, Mamata spoke to Akhilesh last evening for about three minutes.The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo’s support comes in the wake of Akhilesh’s suspension from the Samajwadi Party for six years. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday expelled Akhilesh and national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years over indiscipline.This move comes after Akhilesh had released a list of 235 candidates out of the total 403 seats for upcoming state assembly elections on Thursday, rejecting the list announced by Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday. Akhilesh’s name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam said his son being the Chief Minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to.
Mulayam expels UP CM Akhilesh: Here’s a timeline of the Yadav clan Dangal
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The ruling Samajawadi Party was on Friday on the precipice of a split with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and cousin general secretary Ramgopal Yadav for six years after they put up candidates against the official nominees and summoned a party meet on Sunday. Ahead of the 2017 UP Elections, Mulayam’s announcement may have been sudden but the feud in the Yadav family have been taking a turn for the worse since the past few months. The latter half of this year has seen the family at constant loggerheads. Here’s a timeline chronicling the disintegration of the Uttar Pradesh’s Samajawadi Party:August 15: Samajwadi Party plans to merge with with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Qaumi Ekta Dal(QED). As a result, brother Shivpal Yadav threatens to resign from the party, which is averted by Mulayam Singh Yadav in view of the UP elections.
ALSO READ Yadav vs Yadav Dangal: Mulayam Singh expels Akhilesh and Ram Gopal from SP for six years September 13: Akhilesh steps down from his position in the party as the UP unit chief and Mulayam appoints Shivpal as the Samajwadi Party’s State President. On the same day, Akhilesh strips uncle Shivpal Yadav of key portfolios.September 15: Ramgopal Yadav, another brother of Mulayam and Samajwadi Party general secretary says there is no ‘sankat’ (rift) in the party and it was a wrong decision to remove Akhilesh Yadav as the president of the Samajwadi Party. The day also sees Shivpal resign from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet and quit as the state unit president of Samajwadi Party. This was a result of Akhilesh deciding to sack two ministers from his cabinet – Gayatri Prajapati and Rajkishore Singh over allegations of corruption. Both the leaders were considered close to Shivpal.September 17: Akhilesh Yadav announces that Shivpal will continue as the SP State President. Sacked Mines Minister, Gayatri Prasad Prajapati re-inducted in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet.September 18: Shivpal Yadav expels Ramgopal Yadav and another leader for their alleged involvement in land grabbing. Additionally, Shivpal also expels party MLC Arvind Pratap Yadav, who is a nephew of Ramgopal Yadav and former village head in Etawah.September 19: Shivpal’s firing of seven youth leaders result in a number of youth leaders close to Akhilesh Yadav quitting the party.October 14: “The Chief ministerial candidate will be decided by the elected party legislatures and parliamentary board. This is our job,” Mulayam snubs Akhilesh by saying that the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate will be decided by elected party legislatures after the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. October 17: With much hesitation, Akhilesh is endorsed by Mulayam as the presumptive chief ministerial candidate of the party ahead of state Elections.October 23: Akhilesh sacks Shivpal along with three other ministers from the government.December 25: Akhilesh submits his own list of 403 probable candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.December 28: Mulayam announces his own list of candidates for 325 of the 403 Assembly seat.December 29: Akhilesh revolts and releases his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.December 30: The Yadav feud reached its peak on Friday when Mulayam expelled Akhilesh along with cousin Ramgopal for anti-party activities. “We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal,” Mulayam said.(With agency inputs)
Mulayam should explain why he imposed Akhilesh on UP after 2012 polls: BJP
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>People of Uttar Pradesh have already “expelled” Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav should now answer as to why he “betrayed” the state by imposing his son after 2012 polls, BJP said soon after Akhilesh was expelled for six years from the party.”Akhilesh Yadav has let down the people of Uttar Pradesh with the all-round failures of his government. He has not fulfilled any promise. People are feeling betrayed. Now Mulayam Singh Yadav has expelled him from the party. People have already expelled him due to his governance failures,” BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said.”Mualayam Singh Yadav should answer as to why he imposed his son on the state and betrayed it,” he said.People had voted for SP in 2012 as they were angry with the Mayawati government over poor law and order and development but SP has also let them down, he said, blaming Yadav for “deteriorating law and order” as his portfolios includes the Home department.Voters will not fall in this trap this time, Sharma said, claiming that they have made up their mind to vote for BJP.”There is wave in our support,” he claimed. BJP governments in various states have brought development and ensured double digit growth, he said.
Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh puts ‘final’ stamp on his list, asks candidates to prepare for upcoming polls
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday confirmed the list announced by him as the final one.Akhilesh asked the candidates to go to their constituencies, prepare for the upcoming elections and mark their victory.The decision was announced at the Samajwadi Party core group meet held at Akhilesh’s residence earlier on Friday.On Thursday, Akhilesh released a list of 235 candidates out of a total of 403 seats for the upcoming state assembly elections, a day after his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had released the official list, hinting at a deepening crisis within the party.Intense political activities continued at the Samajwadi Party headquarters and at the official residence of the chief minister yesterday.Akhilesh met Mulayam Singh, but as per sources, the party chief refused to make changes in the list of 325 candidates issued by him on Wednesday.According to reports, Akhilesh has removed the name of his sister-in-law Aparna Yadav from the list of candidates that will contest next year?s state assembly polls.She was earlier given a ticket by Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest from the Lucknow Cantt seat.
DNA Evening Must Reads: Anil Baijal likely to be new Delhi LG, Mulayam rules out alliance with any party; and more
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Former Union Home Secretary Anil Baijal likely to be new Delhi LGCareer bureaucrat Anil Baijal looks set to become the next Lt Governor of Delhi, a post which has fallen vacant after sudden resignation of Najeeb Jung. Read more here. Uttar Pradesh assembly elections: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav rules out alliance with any partyAmid speculations, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of an alliance with any political party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Read more here. Kalmadi defers Life President post of IOA, Sports Ministry issues showcause noticeFaced with a barrage of criticism, scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi declined the position of the Indian Olympic Association’s Life President even as the Sports Ministry issued a showcause notice to the IOA for its controversial decision. Read more here. Cabinet clears ordinance: Face jail time, Rs 50,000 penalty for holding old notesThe Cabinet on Wednesday approved promulgation of an ordinance to impose a penalty, including a jail term, for possession of the scrapped 500 and 1,000 rupee notes beyond a cut-off. Read more here. Scrap cash withdrawal limit, reveal how much black money recovered post demonetization: Rahul to ModiUpping the ante on the government’s demonetization drive, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sacrificed the common man in ‘yagna’ against black money. Read more here. Shocking: Ram Gopal Verma SLAMS Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan!Ram Gopal Verma took to Twitter to post a series of tweets, giving a thumbs up to Aamir’s brilliant performance. But while doing so, he took a serious jibe at the other Khans- Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Read more here.
UP Elections 2017: Mulayam snubs son, rejects possibility of any alliance
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> In a clear snub to Akhilesh Yadav, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday announced candidates for 325 of the 403 Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats, “ignoring” his son’s objections to certain names, and “ruled out” alliance with any party for the upcoming polls.At a hurriedly convened press conference here, the SP patriarch released the list of 325 candidates, giving tickets to 176 sitting MLAs. Names of candidates for rest of the 78 seats would be announced soon, he said, flanked by state party chief Shivpal Yadav, while Chief Minister Akhilesh was away on a tour. Surprisingly, the list carries names of Sigbatullah Ansari, who is the brother of jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari, and Atiq Ahmed who faces over 40 criminal cases including of murder and attempt to murder.Akhilesh, who is believed to be opposed to their nomination, had reportedly asked his father to intervene. Another name which had upset Akhilesh was Aman Mani Tripathi, now arrested by CBI in a case related to the killing of his wife, has, however, did not figure in today’s list. The choice of candidates for 175 seats by his warring uncle Shivpal had apparently put off Akhilesh, who prepared his own list of preferred candidates for all the seats and sent it to Mulayam. Today’s list has no mention on names of several pro-Akhilesh ministers and MLAs including those of Ram Govind Chaudhary, Pawan Pandey and Arvind Sing Gope (all ministers). To a question, Mulayam said Akhilesh was “free to contest” from any seat he wanted.Akhilesh, who was not averse to an alliance with Congress for the Assembly polls, has been saying that SP alone would get absolute majority and in case of a tie up with Congress, they would bag over 300 seats. “Samajwadi Party is not forming an alliance with anyone,” Mulayam said, ending speculation of a tie up between SP and Congress. Releasing the candidate list which clearly bore his and his brother Shivpal’s stamp, Mulayam “ruled out” projecting his son as the chief ministerial candidate.”SP has no tradition of projecting anyone as its chief ministerial candidate. Some parties do it, and in the process bite the dust. In SP, the legislators elect their leader,” he said replying to a question in this regard. Mulayam’s announcement to “go alone” came just days after BSP supremo Mayawati claimed that BJP was exerting pressure on the SP chief and his family through Enforcement Directorate, I-T department and CBI to join hands with Congress so as to “divide Muslim votes” and stop her party from coming to power.”Keeping in mind the chances of BSP coming to power in UP, it is being said BJP is showing threat of agencies like ED, I-T and CBI to the SP chief and his family in connection with DA cases and other shortcomings to divide Muslim vote,” she had said. Asked as to how many candidates have been selected from the list submitted by Akhilesh, Mulayam parried a direct reply saying that besides the Chief Minister, some other leaders had also given their own lists and all were to be accommodated.Speculation was rife that SP was ready to offer 78 seats to Congress in case of an alliance and interestingly the ruling party has left out just as many seats for which candidates were yet to be announced. The SP supremo said BJP will get a befitting reply from the electorate for demonetization and also criticised it for not fulfilling its promises. He claimed elections will be held before February 28 next year.
UP Elections 2017: Another bout of power struggle in SP over ticket selection
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The bitter power struggle between Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav came to the fore once again today on the ticklish issue of ticket distribution with the Chief Minister differing with his uncle over selection of candidates.As reports of strains over ticket distribution cropped up, Opposition took a swipe at the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh with BSP supremo Mayawati saying the infighting has split Samajwadi Party into two camps.Shivpal, who had replaced Akhilesh as state party chief during a bitter feud in the Yadav clan, however, maintained there was “no problem” and if there is any it would be resolved.”The matter of ticket (distribution) will be cleared. As soon as elections will be announced, all problems will be resolved…When I have already said everyone’s opinion is being considered, there is no problem…Why are you (media) creating problems,” he posed.After Akhilesh reportedly sent a parallel list of candidates to his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal today met the SP supremo at his residence here for over three hours apparently to iron out differences.Akhilesh is believed to be opposed to nomination of Sigbatullah Ansari, who is the brother of jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari. He also does not favour giving ticket to Atiq Ahmed from Kanpur, who faces over 40 criminal cases including those of murder and attempt to murder, and Aman Mani Tripathi, now arrested by CBI in a case related to the killing of his wife.These names have reportedly upset Akhilesh Yadav so much, sources say, that he has sounded out his father Mulayam and asked him to intervene. The choice of candidates for 175 seats by Shivpal has apparently not gone down well with his defiant nephew Akhilesh who, according to party insiders, prepared his own list of preferred candidates for all the 403 UP Assembly seats and sent it to Mulayam. The list drafted by the Chief Minister carries his name as well as a candidate from Bundelkhand region where he will embark on a ‘Rath Yatra’ on December 28.During their recent public turf war, Akhilesh had insisted he should have a say in the ticket distribution as the election was a test of his government’s performance. This is Akhilesh’s second power play in the last three days. On December 24, Akhilesh had met first-time MLAs at his residence and promised to give them party tickets.
Talk to real people about demonetization, you will get beaten up: Lalu to PM Modi
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Taking a dig at Narendra Modi over his remark that people can punish him for demonetization after the 50-day window, Lalu Prasad on Monday asked the Prime Minister to choose a “chauraha” (roundabout) where people can punish him for triggering a chaotic situation in the country. “PM should chose his favourite ‘chauraha’ (roundabout) where people could punish him for leading the country to a chaotic condition in the name of demonetization to fight black money,” RJD President Lalu Prasad told reporters after flagging off Rath to drum up support for party dharna across Bihar on December 28.Prasad was reminding the PM of his utterances at Goa where he had asked people to give him 50 days for fight against black money through scrapping of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes. Launching a scathing attack at the PM, the RJD chief said “Madari ka khel bana diye hain kabhi notebandi to khabi cashless economy (he is re-enacting play of monkeys in the name of demonetization and than cashless economy)”.Prasad said the PM was under “illusion” that people are appreciating him by chanting “Modi, Modi”. It’s a few RSS men who occupy front seats in his rallies and shout Modi, Modi which he is reading as voice of masses”. “If election is held in the country today BJP would draw a nought,” the RJD chief said.Prasad said that the saffron party would bite dust in Uttar Pradesh poll. “BJP ka koi ata-pata nahin rahega Uttar Pradesh ke chunav mein (BJP will be no nowhere in UP polls),” he said.The RJD chief predicted victory for Samajwadi Party in UP and said like in Bihar he and other leaders from the state would campaign for Mulayam Singh Yadav party to ensure its victory in UP. Asked if family feud in SP would mar his chances in the election, Prasad who is related to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family, dismissed it and said minor fight happens in every family.
‘Frustrated’ BJP using central agencies for Congress, SP alliance in UP: Mayawati
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre with the help of Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax (IT) Department and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is building pressure on Samajwadi Party boss Mulayam Singh Yadav to form an alliance with the Congress for next year’s assembly polls.Mayawati told the media here that Prime Minister Modi also made false promises like Mulayam and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won’t be victorious in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.”It is being said that Congress and Samajwadi Party will form an alliance. The final call will be taken when it is realised that BJP will benefit from the alliance. Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will materialise only after final approval from the BJP,” Mayawati said.?Like Mulayam Singh, Prime Minister Modi has made many false promises just before the elections. Despite all these, they are not going to get success in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP was weak when the BSP was in power and it is strong when the Samajwadi Party is in Uttar Pradesh. This proves they have been colluding,? she added.Asserting that not even one-fourth of the promises made by the BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections have been fulfilled till date, the BSP chief said the people are frustrated with the saffron party as a result of which the Amit Shah-led party has realised that they stand no chances in Uttar Pradesh.The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also reached out to the Muslim community, saying they must be careful so that the BJP is not successful in desperate attempt to conquer the throne of Lucknow. “In order to tilt the situation in its favour, the BJP included some selfish people on its side and did a lot of advertisement,” she added.Mayawati alleged that demonetisation is an inappropriate decision to benefit the rich and said that the BJP has now realised that this drive has become a bone of contention. “90% of the people have not overcome the obstacles post demonetisation. The people will teach them a lesson,” she added.Asserting that the BSP has always worked with honesty and in a transparent manner for welfare of the people of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati alleged that the Samajwadi Party, BJP and Congress have several records to their credit of causing, supporting and not stopping communal riots. “The Samajwadi Party Government ran bulldozer over the houses of over one lakh communal riots victims’ house. The party is known for supporting ‘gundaraj’ and their record with communal peace is not good either,” she added.Escalating her attack, Mayawati further stated that the Samajwadi Party cannot make the next government in Uttar Pradesh even by joining hands with the Congress, as the feud between the Yadav family will not let them regain power in the state. “The Samajwadi Party is at the verge of breaking in two camps, which can push Muslim votes towards the BJP. The Bahujan Samaj Party is the only party, which can stop the BJP from coming to power in Uttar Pradesh,” she added.Uttar Pradesh will go to polls next year and there have been reports of the Congress and Samajwadi Party mulling over forming an alliance ahead of the elections.The BJP is pinning its hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity to win maximum number of seats in the upcoming polls.
Govt neglected backward castes for 5 years, adding them to SC list is ‘mere drama’: Mayawati
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Terming the Akhilesh Yadav government’s assent to include 17 Other Backward Castes in the SC list as a “mere drama”, BSP supremo Mayawati said on Thursday the decision is both “unfortunate and condemnable” and aimed at deceiving these communities. “After having neglected all the backward castes barring one in the past five years of its rule, the SP government is out to mislead them in the same vein as was done by the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government,” she said in a statement.UP Cabinet’s assent for inclusion of 17 OBCs in SC list is a mere drama played just before the Assembly elections in the state, Mayawati said, adding this decision is both unfortunate and condemnable, aimed at deceiving these castes. This decision is against the law as it is only the Central government which can include any caste in the SC list, she said, adding after Mulayam government’s decision on this issue, these castes were left in the lurch for they then belonged neither in the OBC nor in the SC list.She claimed that it was the BSP government that succeeded the Mulayam Singh Yadav government which reverted the decision bringing the castes back in the backward list and sent a proposal to the Centre for inclusion only on condition of increasing the quota of the SC. This decision has been taken in perhaps the last Cabinet meeting of this government, Mayawati remarked.
ALSO READ Ahead of elections, UP govt gives assent to include 17 Other Backward Castes in SCA Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav this morning cleared the proposal to include Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machua sub-castes in the Scheduled Caste category.
Ahead of elections, UP govt gives assent to include 17 Other Backward Castes in SC
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Playing the caste card ahead of Assembly elections, the Akhilesh Yadav government on Thursday gave its assent to include 17 Other Backward Castes in the Scheduled Castes (SC) list.A Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday morning cleared the proposal in this regard, officials said.The proposal, considered to be aimed at wooing the OBCs in the coming elections, will now be sent to the Centre for clearance, they said. The 17 sub-castes which the government wants included in the SC category are Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machua.Earlier in March 2013, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly had passed a resolution asking the Centre to include 17 castes of the state into the list of Scheduled Castes (SC) category.In the resolution presented by Social Welfare Minister Avdhesh Prasad and passed by the voice vote in the House, it was stated that in a detailed study by UP SC/ST Research and Training Institute, these 17 castes have been found ‘deserving’ to be included in the list of Scheduled Castes (SC).The Mulayam Singh Yadav government too had passed the resolution in the state Cabinet in February 2004 and had sent recommendation to the Centre for inclusion of these castes in SC list in December 2004.Later, Mulayam went ahead and issued a government order on October 10, 2005 giving SC benefits to these castes, which was, however, struck down by the High Court.Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are likely to be held early next year.
SP continues to be govt of ‘gundaraj’: BSP attacks Yadavs over woman’s beating in Mainpuri
Thu, 22 Dec 2016-01:53pm , New Delhi , ANI
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday condemned the Mainpuri incident where a woman was brutally beaten for resisting molestation and said the ruling Samajwadi Party continues to be the government of gundaraj.”We have seen very recently that in Mainpuri district, which is Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s home district, a woman has been mercilessly and brutally beaten up by goons of the Samajwadi Party. Therefore, Akhilesh Yadav’s party continues to be the government of gundaraj and I am sure that this time the people of UP will show Akhilesh Yadav the door,” BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said.He further said that incidents of gang-rape, molestation and women battering are going on unabatedly under the Samajwadi Party’s regime in Uttar Pradesh.
ALSO READ Watch: Woman brutally beaten for resisting molestation in Uttar PradeshA woman was recently molested and later beaten up along with her husband in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district in broad daylight. The video of the brutal incident has also gone viral.
UP polls | SP favouring pre-poll alliance proves it is in poor shape, says Mayawati
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Taking a dig at Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for favouring the formation of an alliance ahead of next year’s assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said this proves that the ruling party in the state is ‘weak’ and in a ‘very bad shape’.Mayawati told media here that the condition of the Samajwadi Party is so bad that they have a need to search for support from another party. “When Samajwadi Party’s chief has done developmental work in Uttar Pradesh, then why does it need to form an alliance? If everything is on the right path, then why do they want an alliance? It only means that they have completely failed to maintain law and order in the state and the government has totally failed to bring development in the state,” she said.”All the work was done by my party only the name and the government has changed and they have done nothing. When they are in power and have got all the time to work for the state and still they are trying to form an alliance, it only means that they have accepted that they are going to lose. That means the Samajwadi Party is weak and they know that they will lose,” she added.Amid reports of Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had yesterday said if such a tie-up takes place in the upcoming state assembly polls it would win over 300 seats.”Though Samajwadi’s are going to form majority government in the state, but if alliance takes place, it will win over 300 (of the 403) seats. The final decision in this regard will be taken by party National president (Mulayam Singh Yadav),” he said when asked about possibility of his party’s alliance with Congress.
Demonetization has hit those involved in chit fund scams: Manohar Parrikar
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday claimed that those involved in chit fund scams were now in trouble due to the Centre’s demonetization decision.”Many people were thinking what will happen to BJP’s plan to hold (Vijay Sankalp) rallies (in Goa) after demonetisation.But we don’t gather people for rallies by paying money,” Parrikar said at Siolim here.Ruling BJP is holding ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rallies in Goa ahead of next year’s Assembly polls.”Mayawati, Mamata, Mulayam might have been in grief but not BJP. Those who have looted crores of rupees through chit funds are feeling the heat of demonetisation,” Parrikar said, hitting out at former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.”One Chief Minister was so much hurt by the demonetisation that she started accusing Army of taking over the state,” he said, without naming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.Some members of Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have faced cases in a chit fund scam case.”My sleep was disturbed (following her allegations). I enquired with Army, they told me that they have communicated with them (West Bengal government). They only recommended where they (Army) should be stationed. Only after that I slept in peace,” Parrikar said.
UP Elections 2017: Akhilesh refuses to rule out Congress alliance, hits out at Amar Singh
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav appeared not averse to an alliance with Congress for UP Assembly polls, saying such a combine can win over 300 seats in the 403-member House, but firmly ruled out any tie-up with BSP.Only last month, Samajwadi Party supremo and Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav had ruled out any pre-poll alliance and asserted that there can only be mergers.Replying to a volley of questions on a possible tie-up with Congress against the backdrop of its poll strategist Prashant Kishor meeting Mulayam and and himself later, the Chief Minister said that a final decision on the alliance will be taken by the SP supremo and he can only give suggestions. Akhilesh also suggested that Congress will have to accept that it may have to fight on a fewer number of seats than it wants in an alliance because a tie-up will not work out if it keeps thinking about “profit and loss”. He also hit back at BSP chief Mayawati, who had recently mocked him for calling her ‘bua’, saying her problem is that BSP is not in contention to capture power and added that he will no longer call her ‘bua’ (father’s sister). Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit here, Akhilesh (43) attacked the Modi government over demonetization and took potshots at his rivals, including Amar Singh, within SP.”It is a big dream,” he quipped when asked if Amar Singh was also a contender for the Chief Minister’s post. He, however, asserted that the murky infighting that put his uncle Shivpal Yadav against him is behind him and he, “like Arjun is focusing on one goal, which is to form government in the state again”. It is for Congress, which has projected Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate, to take a final decision on an alliance, he said, adding that Kishor had met him after meeting Mulayam. “When there is an alliance, somebody has to accept that he will get fewer number of seats (to contest). If you keep thinking about profit and loss, then it will not work out. We are anyway going to form government again with a majority and if they (Congress) also come along, then we will cross 300,” he said.Akhilesh said that he conveyed this to Kishor too. “It (UP polls) is a big battle. If the ally is good, then we can sort out other parties,” the Chief Minister said, though he ruled out any alliance with BSP which, he noted, had formed government with BJP three times earlier and Mayawati “used to tie” Rakhi to some BJP leaders.Attacking the central government, he said it has made everybody stand in queue and wondered if this was the ‘achchhe din’ for which people had voted for Narendra Modi.”It has harmed the economy,” he said. Attacking BJP and BSP, SP’s main rivals in UP, Akhilesh Yadav said one of them has made life difficult for people and forced them to break their piggy banks, a reference to demonetization, while another does not believe in speaking out. His referring to Mayawati as ‘bua’ was not about personal but political relationship as people much senior to him in politics called her ‘Behen ji’, he said.”I gave her more respect but she has not accepted it. I will no longer call her ‘bua’,” he said. Asked about his bitter fight with ‘chacha’ Shivpal Yadav, the UP Chief Minister quipped that there should be talk about “uncle”, a reference to Amar Singh, too. Without naming him, Akhilesh said Mulayam had brought him in party to strengthen it and his “language and behaviour should be in a manner that helps SP form the government again.”Asked if he wanted to sack Amar Singh from the party, he said, “If I had been state president of the party, I would have made a proposal and sent to neta ji (Mualayam).” He, however, did not elaborate on this. Akhilesh was the state president before he was replaced by Shivpal.Apparently attacking Amar Singh, he said “if somebody brings a type-writer from outside” so that the decision of his removal could be faxed to him, then he will not accept it.To a question if he wanted to form his own party, he said “in politics, you should sack those from the party who want to sack you. This is our party.”Responding to BJP’s barb that demonetization had harmed SP as the alleged illicit money kept by it for the polls is no longer useful, he said the decision will help his party as leaders and workers of other outfits will be forced to use cycle, SP’s election symbol. A grand alliance like Bihar is not possible in UP, he added. Asked about differences between him and his father, he responded in lighter vein that he was a footballer while Mulayam was a wrestler. He, however, insisted that all the infighting in his party had not made any impact on his government’s performance and cited the Metro work in Lucknow and Luchnow-Agra expressway as evidence.He also supported West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her attack on the central government, saying if anything happens in a state, the Chief Minister should be informed.
Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh flags of Lucknow metro’s trial run; Mayawati says move for cheap popularity
Lucknow: The trial run of the Uttar Pradesh government’s much publicised Lucknow Metro was flagged off today by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav even as BSP chief Mayawati alleged the project was completed in haste to gain cheap popularity ahead of polls.
The function was held at Transport Nagar depot for the trial run up to Charbagh railway station, a distance of 8.5 km.
Representational image. Pradesh18
Addressing the gathering, Akhilesh said it was a challenge to start the project on time, and added that adding that they have “set an example before the country”.
“Metro was not in our manifesto but we initiated the project. The work for the same has also been started in Ghaziabad, between Greater Nodia and Noida, and also in Kanpur. If we come to power again, we will start work in
Varanasi too,” he said. Asserting that the ruling Samajwadi Party did not play politics on the issue of development, Akhilesh said his government gave land for establishment of Aiims in Raebareli and in Gorakhpur as well so that people could avail the best medical facilities.
“We don’t believe in blame game. We are for development and support every move initiated for it,” he said.
The trial run, however, evoked strong criticism from BSP supremo Mayawati, who said it was a decision taken in haste by the ruling SP, “as it knew very well that it would not return to power” in the upcoming UP Assembly elections.
“It was done in haste to gain cheap popularity and smacks of ‘bachkani zid’ (childish stubbornness) of the chief minister,” she said.
SP supremo Mulayam said he was glad the project was completed in a timely fashion.
“When I was asked to lay foundation for the project, I wanted to know how much time it will take and refused when I was told it will take four years. Them they said it will be completed in three years, but I again declined. When I was told it will be completed in 2 years, I agreed,” he said.
Terming it as “historic day”, Mulayam said he would be happy if metro will also be started in Varanasi and appealed to people to vote for SP so that it could form government again to resume developmental work.
“The work done in UP during present SP regime are historic and have set an example before the country. UP’s work is being appreciated everywhere,” he said.
“We have done good work but we don’t discuss it,” Mulayam said, asking party workers to propagate it.
The entire 23-km long North-South corridor will have 21 stations including eight elevated ones, and the estimated cost of the project will be around Rs 6,800 crore.
The primary section (between Transport Nagar to Charbagh) would be open for public on March 26 next year after three months of rigorous trial.
At the function, SP state president Shivpal Yadav was also present.
LMRC, a special purpose vehicle, was registered under the Companies Act by the state government in 2013 to execute metro-rail project in city. Padma Vibhushan E Sreedharan, who has successfully handled many mega projects in country, like Konkan railway and Delhi metro, is principal advisor of LMRC.
First Published On : Dec 1, 2016 16:53 IST
Akhilesh Yadav outsmarts Mamata Banerjee, stays away from Lucknow demonetisation rally
Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh have a great political allure. Leaders from afar are attracted to this vast state to come here and try their luck. After all, it is said that the path to Delhi goes via Lucknow, and a good show in Lucknow make people in Delhi take notice.
So, it was West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who staged a protest rally in Lucknow on 29 November after a shrill campaign against demonetisation initiated by her in Delhi that attracted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in an expression of bonhomie went to the airport to receive her, turning it into a great photo opportunity. It was unofficially given out to the media that Akhilesh had given full support to Mamata’s protest show in Lucknow and he might possibly share the stage with her the next day. Incidentally, Mamta did not meet the Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.
A file image of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI
But the next day was a different story. The venue chosen for Mamta’s protest meeting was a busy road intersection, one that is identified with the office of the Women Helpline (1090) started by the Akhilesh government. The area is splashed with hoardings of Akhilesh Yadav smiling down amidst a description of his government’s achievements. And there is a huge LED screen that displays videos of his government’s schemes and their success. The venue is a little more than a kilometre from the Chief Minister’s official residence as well, and the road intersection is very busy throughout the day as it connects the trans-Gomti part of Lucknow through two bridges.
Any disruption on this roundabout causes huge traffic snarls within minutes and it so happened that day also, creating an impression that the huge crowd was there to listen to the fiery Didi.
Her party’s hoardings lined the roads leading to the venue, on which there was a single line: Notebandi wapas lo (Withdraw demonetisation) with a picture of Mamata with her stern face and an outstretched hand and a raised finger which resembled the famed posture in BR Ambedkar statues.
The meeting was scheduled to start at 10.30 am with Mamata expected to be at the venue around 1 pm and the crowd — some that had come on purpose and some that had to perforce stop there because of the traffic jam — waited patiently for her. In fact, the venue very soon looked more like a Samajwadi Party gathering with SP banners, slogans and SP flag-waving supporters swarming the place. Akhilesh supporters were shouting slogans for him and it was announced that he would be coming there soon.
But Mamata was delayed by nearly an hour and Akhilesh decided to stay away. In his place, one of his ministers Arvind Singh Gope and the party’s senior leader Kiranmoy Nanda graced the stage. Mamata spoke in her typical style, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw demonetisation, but as news of Akhilesh not arriving on the spot spread, SP supporters started moving away in large numbers. Besides accusing Modi of hurting the poor with this move, she said she would continue to oppose the prime minister, and dared him to arrest her.
If Mamata was smart enough to choose a busy road crossing for her meeting so that the traffic disruption could give the impression of a crowd, Akhilesh Yadav proved to be smarter. He not only stayed away from what was essentially a Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee show but also avoided sharing the stage with her, as it would possibly have given a signal that he had accepted her leadership in this anti-BJP movement on the issue of demonetisation. But Akhilesh succeeded in giving a signal that despite reports of him being amenable on the issue he was against demonetisation in principle even though he has so far never called for a rollback as Mamata has been demanding from day one. He has also managed to isolate Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on this issue as no senior opposition leader has sided with Mayawati on her anti-demonetisation stance till now.
Mamata is the second non-BJP and non-Congress chief minister to have marked her political presence in Uttar Pradesh in the last few months. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the first to stage a series of meetings in the state some months ago on total prohibition alcohol. But he has been with Modi on the issue of demonetisation. Mamata, on the other hand, has been on the forefront this time in the anti-demonetisation campaign, demanding nothing less than a rollback. And, she has left Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mayawati far behind in acquiring national opposition leadership on this issue. So, a splash in Lucknow was quite in order.
Incidentally, no leader of the Samajwadi Party owing allegiance to Mulayam Singh Yadav or Shivpal Yadav was present at the Mamata show. Mulayam is not known to be particularly eager on any alliance with Mamata given the past acrimony between the two since the issue of the previous Presidential election in 2012. It would thus appear that Akhilesh’s token support to Mamata and her rally may not be the Samajwadi Party’s stand as far as future alliances are concerned. But Akhilesh could well use Mamta’s support in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2017 campaign that could begin in the coming weeks even if Trinamool Congress is not going to be in the fray for the game of numbers. Akhilesh would remain the party’s undisputed face for UP, but he could well be won over to support Mamata over Nitish in 2019.
First Published On : Nov 30, 2016 13:01 IST
I am pained by ‘intolerable abuses’, will speak to Mulayam, says Amar Singh
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh has said he is pained by the unacceptable activities and abuses that he is being subjected to by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s supporters.He said the matter has crossed all limits of tolerance and it was time for him to speak to party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has stood by him even against the wishes of his son.”A senior leader, while speaking against demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha, said action should be taken against me. At the time when the senior leader was speaking in the Rajya Sabha, an FIR was being registered against me in Azamgarh at the behest of a senior minister, as an SSP told me. Had I not registered a counter complaint in advance, and had I not informed the IB, and had I not informed a New Delhi DCP, then the Uttar Pradesh Government would have possibly arrested me on those charges,” Singh told ANI.”My effigies are being burnt in Azamgarh and Lucknow; a minister of the state government is doing so to please the chief minister, and the chief minister who is the son of a person whom I regard as a brother. In such a situation what would you feel? I am pained by such things. I have not threatened anybody, and I will speak to Mulayam Singhji,” said Amar Singh, a confidante and long-time friend of the SP’s national president.”Mulayam Singhji against his son’s wishes stood with me publically, which is a debt on me. Hence, I don’t want to hurt him, but now the matter has crossed all limits of tolerance,” he added.Recalling that he had said in an interview to a news channel that the political face of Uttar Pradesh will change by October-November, close to the state polls, he said, “My statement, which I had given as a political analyst, was interpreted as if I want to displace Akhilesh to reinstate Mulayam Singhji.””I had said that after observing Modiji’s working style. He gives a long leverage to his political opponents, and when there is an election, he comes to the field displaying his special skills,” he said.”In West Bengal, all stings against Mamata’s cabinet ministers were on corruption, it’s another thing that it did not have any surprising impact on the voters. Madan Mitra, a cabinet-level minister as the matter is in the court. I will not say that Modiji and Amit Shahji got him arrested due to some malice, but he was arrested just before the elections and has not been released till today,” said Singh to buttress his statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah’s style of functioning. But my statement was interpreted as if I want to displace Akhilesh to reinstate Mulayam Singhji. I have not threatened anybody, and I will speak to Mulayam Singhji,” he added.Speaking to ANI on October 27, Singh, who kept himself away from the media during infighting in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s clan and was portrayed as a villain by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, had said he might not be with CM Akhilesh, but would always be with Mulayam’s son Akhilesh.”I may not be with CM Akhilesh, but I will always be with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh. The father of the SP and the chief minister are the same, and god stands as a testimony that whenever I spoke to Netaji, it was in favour of Akhilesh, Netaji also knows this truth,” Singh told ANI, while responding to Akhilesh’s allegations.”When I was struggling for life and undergoing a dialysis, Netaji had come to meet me and he said there was a discussion on the issue of state president and when Akhilesh Yadav replaced Shivpal Yadav as the UP SP president, even then I was blamed for it,” said Singh.”When his (Akhilesh’s) family was opposing his marriage, I was the only one who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding, where this ‘dalal’ is not there,” an emotional Singh had responded then when was called a ‘dalal’ (agent).”It is possible to meet Rahul Gandhi, but meeting Akhilesh is difficult. If my ‘bali’ (sacrifice) can solve the problem, I am ready for it,” he had added then.
Opp would have praised if they had 72 hours to prepare: PM Modi takes dig at critics
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Under relentless opposition fire over demonetization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at his critics, saying their “pain” was that they did not get a “chance for preparation” before he announced the move, even as political battle over the exercise escalated. “Some people are criticising saying the government did not make ample preparation. I think that is not the issue that the government did not make ample preparation. I think the pain of such people is that the government did not give a chance to make any preparation,” he said at a book launch function in Delhi.”If these people had got 72 hours to make their preparation, they would have lavished praise that there is no one like Modi,” Modi, whose demonetization drive has united most opposition parties, said.With Parliamentary proceedings washed out for the seventh straight day today, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi dared the Prime Minister to a debate in Parliament.”The main issue is that the Prime Minister doesn’t come to the Lok Sabha for discussion. The moment he comes to Lok Sabha, doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jayega (everything will be clear).”The PM doesn’t want to sit in Lok Sabha. We have been stopped from speaking in the Lok Sabha. What you are you scared of ?” Gandhi asked.Stepping up her attack against Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called him “a bad politician and a worse administrator who is spreading lies and relaxing even as the common people continue to suffer”.”Modi ji has lost all credibility. A bad politician and even worse administrator. He is lying,” she said in a statement in Kolkata. She also claimed that Rs 1.28 lakh crore had been lost forever due to the scrapping of the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.Her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, however, reaffirmed his support to demonetization decision which he called a ‘Sahsik’ (brave) decision. He said the attack on black money would have yielded better results had, apart from scrapping high-value currency notes, benami properties been targeted.In the same breath he, however, deprecated the way in which demonetization was carried out.”While supporting demonetization in principle, I, with equal force, criticise the poor arrangements for its implementation due to which common man is facing hardship,” Kumar, who is also the JD(U) national president, told reporters in Patna.Kumar, who was among the first to welcome demonetization, said, “I am seeing a minus with plus whereas many others are seeing only minuses.”BJP chief Amit Shah, who was in Bhubaneshwar, hailed demonetization as a “masterstroke” for black money eradication and said the opposition unity on the issue was because the parties which had come together were hit hard by the decision.”Modiji’s move on black money has made leaders like Manmohan Singh, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, Mulayam Singh, Mayawati and others uncomfortable. The glow on their faces has disappeared,” he a BJP event.”When there is flood, snakes and mongooses, rats and cats stay together on trees. Now, Modi’s demonetization flood has forced the leaders of the SP, Congress, Mamata, Mulayam, Mayawati and Kejriwal to take shelter under one umbrella. They are waiting for Modi’s flood water (step against black money) to recede,” he quipped. More PTI Team SKSK11251949NNNNPTI
Man tries to jump into Lok Sabha chamber from visitors’ gallery
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>There was commotion in the Lok Sabha on Friday when a man tried to jump into the House chamber soon after the proceedings were adjourned following protests over the demonetisation issue.Soon after the House assembled, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for nearly 40 minutes following stormy Opposition protests and the members started leaving the Chamber.Suddenly, an Opposition member, who had earlier trooped into the Well, pointed out that security personnel in the Visitors’ Gallery were grappling with a person whose right foot was hanging from the wooden fence.He was caught and lifted up by about 4-5 alert personnel.It then transpired that the man had tried to jump into the Lok Sabha Chamber.The man was caught and then bundled out. The other visitors were then guided out of the gallery which is right opposite the press enclosure.Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes are usually seated in the front rows of the Visitors’ Gallery to prevent such incidents.While the Speaker had left, the Prime Minister was not in the House. Senior ministers including Arun Jaitley and leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav were in the House when the incident took place.
Modi is arrogant, doesn’t augur well for democracy: Mulayam Singh Yadav hits out at PM
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Attacking Narendra Modi over over the demonetization move, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday said the Prime Minister is being “too arrogant” which “does not augur well” for democracy.Addressing Samajwadi Party’s campaign rally at the RTI ground in Ghazipur, he accused the Prime Minister of working as per his “own whims and fancies” and “cautioned” him to change his policies. “Pradhan Mantriji ghamand me na choor hon…aaj hum unko savadhan karna chahte hain ke woh apni nitiyon mein sanshodhan karen…loktantra mein manmani nahi chalti. (The PM should not be arrogant. Today I caution him to change his policies.There is no place for individual’s whims and fancies in a democracy,” he said. “This won’t work…people are very wise,” he said.Uttar Pradesh goes to polls next year. Samajwadi Party had won 227 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly in 2012. “I have often said farmers and traders are like real brothers…farmers grow crop and traders sell it…but I don’t know what is going on in the PM’s mind…he threatens and says that honest people are sleeping a sound sleep…are we dishonest that we are opposing it?” Yadav said.Without directly mentioning the demonetization move, he said the BJP has taken a “wrong step” and “it is a conspiracy to ruin our traders…along with the farmers and jawans”. “The country is today faced with the most challenging times,” he said.
UP Elections 2017: After Mulayam’s no, RLD, JD(U) stitch alliance
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Rashtriya Lok Dal, Janata Dal(U) and a local outfit BS-4 on Monday announced their alliance for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, a move which comes after SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out entering into any alliance.RLD chief Ajit Singh, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and BS-4 leader Bachan Singh Yadav held a joint press conference here to announce their alliance which will contest on all the 403 Assembly seats. “There is no name of this alliance as of now but it will be an honest alliance. Though this is an alliance of three parties, talks are on with other smaller outfits,” they said.Attacking Mulayam, Ajit Singh said during Bihar Assembly polls all ‘Lohia wadi’ and ‘Charan Singh wadi’ parties had agreed for an “alliance with SP” but then SP declined. “Now when alliance talks were on with SP, Mulayam talked about merger,” he said, wondering, “Why Mulayam does not want any alliance against communal forces.” JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said they were trying for unity for a long time and “Mulayam was projected as a leader but it did not materialise.” “I would have merged my party with SP on Mulayam’s call but no time is left for this,” he said. The SP supremo had recently ruled out any alliance for the UP Assembly polls, but had said mergers with his party could be considered. Yadav said on invitation of the SP supremo he, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Ajit Singh, JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda had attended the silver jubilee celebrations of SP here on November 5. “At that time, it appeared that alliance talks have started but nothing came out of it,” he said.Appealing to the people of the state to support the new alliance, the JD-U leader said it wanted to take the politics of the state on the right track and people should “support” it. JD(U) General Secretary KC Tyagi said at the time of grand alliance (formed during Bihar polls) leaders had accepted everything what Mulayam said but even after that he left it. Asked about possibility of Congress joining the alliance, Ajit Singh said, “No talks have been initiated with Congress in this regard.”
Ramgopal Yadav’s return bolsters Akhilesh’s stature
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s camp got shot in the arm on Thursday with confidant Ramgopal Yadav’s return in the Samajwadi Party (SP). Within weeks after his expulsion, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav reinstated Ramgopal with immediate effect by issuing a letter.The development is being seen as increase in Akhilesh’s stature and strength within the party. Ramgopal, cousin of Mulayam, is seen as an antithesis of Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Yadav. SP leaders are unsure if this step will finally settle the dust within the party or would again create bad blood rivalry. They said, if bickering do not take place again, this would send a positive signal on the ground.”This was bound to happen. Netaji (Mulayam Singh) was never against me. Netaji’s heart is clean for me,” Ramgopal Yadav.Ramgopal would continue to serve in all his previous posts – leader of SP in Rajya Sabha, national general secretary, party spokesperson and member of party parliamentary board. Accepting his return with humiliation, Ramgopal said, he never went outside the party as his heart was always there and he never worked against the party.Ramgopal, regarded as intellectual think tank of the SP, was expelled from the party on October 24 for six years by SP State president Shivpal Yadav on the orders of Mulayam Singh.Possibility of Ramgopal’s return looked bright on Wednesday itself when he spoke against Government’s demonetization move in the Rajya Sabha. It conveyed that Mulayam Singh purposely not informed Rajya Sabha secretariat about Ramgopal’s expulsion as he did not want to lose one the better speakers that has the skills to put across party’s line in the Upper House.
If Netaji’s trust is with Ram Gopal, I am also with him, says Amar Singh
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Responding to reinstatement of ousted Ramgopal Yadav as general secretary of Samajwadi Party following an order issued by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh, SP’s Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh on Thursday said this is their party, and thus, they can expel or reinstate anybody anytime at their will, but if Netaji’s trust and affections is with Ramgopal, then I am also with him.”This is their party, and they can expel or reinstate anybody anytime at their will. If Mulayam Singh’s affection and trust is with Ramgopal, then I am also with Ramgopal,” Singh told ANI.Hel, however, said, “He (Ramgopal) had given a statement that he got Amar Singh expelled from the party, and could do it now too. I am ready to be expelled. I was expelled once and now I am ready to be expelled again. I will be waiting for my expulsion for the second time.”Asked if Ramgopal’s inclusion had strengthened the camp of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, he said: “This is for you to analyse. Whether I am in politics or not; I?m with this party or an other party; but I can neither leave nor forget Mulayam Singh. I cannot deprive myself of his affection, whether he is in power or not.””When I met Mulayam Singh, he was not a big leader, but he is only person in the public life who has ability to carry forward relationships. Other people use and throw, but Mulayam Singh never forgets his friends. For his this capability, I hardly care who has won and who lost,” said Singh, adding that as long as he has got affection and trust of Mulayam Singh, he considers himself to be a winner.Ramgopal Yadav has been reinstated as party’s spokesperson and as a member of the party’s Central Parliamentary Board, announced SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in a press note.”This was bound to happen. It is because of the blessings of Netaji as he was never against me,” Yadav told ANI here.”I was always part of the party; I had never left it, though I was ousted technically,” he added.At the height of the Samajwadi Party family feud, Ram Gopal Yadav was expelled on the instructions of Mulayam Singh on October 23.
There can be no comparison between Modi and Mulayam, says Quami Ekta Dal leader
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Faced with all out charges of harbouring alleged mafia links, erstwhile Quami Ekta Dal (QED) has a chance to make its mark in Samajwadi Party dispensation by ensuring a massive turnout at a rally of the ruling party in Ghazipur next week.Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav will kick off his election campaign for next year’s Assembly elections from Ghazipur on November 23 from the very RTI ground where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP’s Parivartan Rally on Monday. “The prime minister addressed a rally this Monday which was a flop show from all angles…this proved to be a big jolt for the BJP which is dreaming of coming to power in the state…they are also accepting it to some extent…now on the same ground Mulayam will launch his poll campaign with a historic rally,” Afzal Ansari, President of the QED, which has now merged with SP, said.”The November 23 rally will make BJP, hoping to turn the apple cart of SP in its stronghold in Purvanchal, realise its ground reality,” Ansari said. It was perhaps the sizeable influence of the Ansari brothers, two of whom Mukhtar Ansari and Sigbatullah Ansari are MLAs, in Mau, Ghazipur and surrounding areas especially among the Muslims that SP chief brushed aside all opposition, also from his son, Akhilesh Yadav and formalised the merger.Incidentally, the QED merger was the first development which brought to the fore differences among members of the first family of the SP but after a flip-flop for months, the merger was done with the condition of keeping Mukhtar out.Mulayam’s preference of Ghazipur over his parliamentary constituency Azamgarh to launch his electioneering also prove the importance he has attached to the region and his faith in the Ansari brothers. “There can be no comparison between Narendra Modi and Mulayam in terms of peoples support in Purvanchal…the former has no support base in Ghazipur and the turnout in his rally was only 40% of what was expected,” he said, adding SP’s rally will be historic with all sections, including farmers, poor and youth showing keen interest.”Mulayam Singh has always been saying that after Etawah it is Ghazipur which is like a home to him…he has always paid importance to Purvanchal and by deciding to start his campaign from there he has proved it. Now it is the turn of the people of the area to reciprocate with same amount of love and loyalty,” he said. “This time round, BJP is working to make a mark in Purvanchal despite knowing the fact that it is the bastion of Mulayam Singh and one has to be alert if there is an effort to pull the rug from under the feet,” he stressed.Ansari also trained guns at BJP president Amit Shah for repeatedly naming his brother Mukhtar Ansari as the criminal element while questioning Samajwadi Party’s resolve against criminals. “Shah has been certifying SP as ‘goondon ki party’ in his rallies and claiming that there are no goondas in his BJP…to know the reality, the BJP president will do good to look into the mirror himself,” he said. “We do not want a certificate from a person who was banished from his district and who faced murder charges…as for his claim that there are no criminals in BJP, he can have a look at the criminal record of his state unit president Keshav Prasad Maurya who faces not one but more than ten cases against him,” Ansari claimed.”Just like no court of India has convicted Shah and Muarya in any case, neither my brother Mukhtar Ansari or myself have been held guilty by any court of the land…Shah needs to remember this,” he said.
Demonetization: Small towns adapting better than metros
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>If one goes by the lines formed outside banks in these areas, the immediate impact of the demonetization exercise seems to be less pronounced in rural towns as compared to the metros, The Uttar Pradesh side of Bundelkhand is a case in point. People, who had come to the Sarva UP Gramin Bank, in Ullan village near Mauranipur in Jhansi, which was closed, said that they did need cash. However, they seemed not to be as worried about the lack of it, as those in bigger cities would be.“We consider the demonetization exercise to be just a temporary inconvenience,” said Dharamveer Singh, a resident of the village. Singh pointed out that the government’s decision would not affect him immediately. Mulayam Singh, a marginal farmer in neighbouring Imilia village, believed that unlike their urban counterparts, people living in rural areas had learnt to manage with little.“Bundelkhand is a drought affected region. When we have no water to cultivate our fields or money to buy seeds, fertilizers and fodder, we have learned to manage with little. It must be people in cities and those who have a lot of Rs500 and Rs1000 currency notes who are crying now,” he said. Singh did not seem to be too bothered that the bank was closed. He, along with some others, started proceeding to Mauranipur, the neighbouring town, to exchange the old notes for new.The other interesting thing to note here was the fact that unlike bigger towns, these areas in UP were not too bothered about the fact that there were no bigger note denominations. Indeed, some of the banks in smaller towns like Mauranipur, Orai and Mahoba were yet to receive the Rs2,000 note and instead offered currency denominations in Rs100 and Rs10, to the locals here. What was a sore point for these locals though, was that many private banks were offering preferential service to their own account holders. This upset many who had queued up to exchange the old notes.There were some problems though. Ram Kumar Vishwakarma, a fruit seller in Orai town in Jalaun district in Bundelkhand grumbled that people were not buying fruits in bulk. “Since the morning, people are buying bananas in ones and twos by giving me Rs5 or Rs10. I have not had a single customer who has bought a dozen today,” Vishwakarma said.There were people too to whom the new “cashless” economy and the new cash note denominations seemed to make no difference. Babu Ram, a Dalit daily wage labourer in Mangrol village in Jalaun district, said that he and his family survived on rations. “We survive on the monthly rations that I get from my Antyodya ration card. So the government’s new policy does not affect us much, Ram said.
Key meeting of faction-ridden Samajwadi Party ahead of UP polls
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Samajwadi Party Parliamentary Board, the highest decision making body of the faction-ridden ruling party, met here today under the presidentship of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to discuss a gamut of issues ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle and state party chief Shivpal Yadav were also present at the meeting.Though there was no official word on the deliberations, party insiders said that appointment of a new leader of Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha was on the agenda after incumbent Ram Gopal Yadav was expelled from the party. Mulayam has to take a call on the issue before the winter session of Parliament commences on November 16. SP has 19 members in Rajya Sabha and five in Lok Sabha.Party sources said while Mulayam was in favour of his old socialist friend Beni Prasad Verma as party’s new leader in the Upper House of Parliament, Akhilesh was batting for Naresh Agarwal.Reoti Raman Singh is senior-most SP representative in Rajya Sabha, but his failing health may make Mulayam go for Verma, a veteran who had left the party a decade ago following differences with the SP supremo, only to return to the party fold earlier this year. He was soon sent to the Rajya Sabha. Akhilesh, the sources said, favoured Agarwal as he has been a prominent speaker on behalf of the party in the Upper House where he was seen as the number two after Ram Gopal. Amar Singh, who was also sent to the Rajya Sabha by Mulayam recently, is not comfortable with Agarwal due to his proximity with Ram Gopal. Agarwal, who had been in Congress and Loktantrik Congress Party before he joined the SP, favoured declaring Akhilesh as the chief ministerial candidate during the public feud in the Yadav clan.Sources said there was a vacancy in the Parliamentary Board after Ram Gopal’s exit and there was speculation that Surendra Mohan Agarwal could fill the slot.This is the first crucial meeting of the top leadership of the ruling party after Mulayam’s recent announcement to go solo in the UP Assembly polls. Mulayam has ruled out any alliance though he said he would welcome merger of outfits with his party.Sources also said the meeting had been convened to discuss the preparations of the ruling party for the Assembly elections just a few months
Criticism over demonetisation: What is the problem with Congress, SP, BSP and AAP? asks Amit Shah
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>BJP President Amit Shah on Friday asserted that rival parties have exposed themselves and shown their true face by criticising the Centre’s demonetisation move which, he said, has rattled those with black money and fake currency and made some political parties poor as well. Taking a swipe at his rivals, the BJP chief said he would like to ask Congress, SP, BSP and AAP as to why they are so pained.Shah said while he understands dealers of black money, fake currency, hawala and drug are rattled what he cannot fathom as to why leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Arvind Kejriwal are joining the list of such people.Even though he insisted that the government’s move had nothing to do with the impending assembly polls, he said BJP will benefit politically going by the reactions of opposition parties. Assembly polls on his mind, Shah consistently targeted SP, BSP and Congress, BJP’s rivals in Uttar Pradesh, AAP, its challenger in Punjab besides Congress, but skipped any mention of TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was the first leader to take on the government. He named her in his reply to a question.”I can understand the pain of those keeping black money, fake currency, terrorists, hawala operators, naxalites and drug dealers with this decision. What has amazed me is the way some political parties are rattled. “I want to ask Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP President), the BSP chief, Arvind Kejriwal as to why are you pained? If politics become cleaner with a measure and black money is taken out of electoral politics, then why should it pain political parties,” he said. He challenged political parties to face the polls with the issue and said “People will decide.”These political parties always questioned the Modi government what it was doing against black money and now it has given such a hard blow to black money and they are rattled, he said. “The kind of environment these political parties are making I want to ask them if you are in support of black money, hawala operators, terrorism, fake currency dealers… SP, BSP, Arvind Kejriwal and Congress should answer this. “What is the problem of these four parties? They have exposed themselves and shown their true faces,” Shah said.To a poser that these parties have claimed to have voiced concerns of the poor, he said the demonetisation move will do no harm to the poor. “But some political parties have become poor.” Asked about Mayawati’s charge the move amounted to “economic emergency”, he said it has caused economic emergency in her party BSP.
UP polls: No alliance, there may be merger, says SP supremo Mulayam
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Putting an end to speculation about a ‘maha-gathbandhan’ in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out forming alliance with any party on Thursday and said “there may be only merger”. “There will be no alliance for the UP Assembly polls. There may be only merger,” he told a hurriedly called press conference amid talks among leaders of ‘Janata Parivar’ parties about a possible tie-up.The ruling party chief’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of marathon meetings Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor had with him in Delhi and Lucknow. Kishore had held talks with the SP patriarch spread over several sessions and had also met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, fuelling speculation about an alliance. Akhilesh, who did not appear too keen on cobbling together a coalition, had on wednesday said that forming a coalition was not that easy. The fact that SP wanted to go it alone was reflected in the chief minister’s remark that the ruling party can win the election on its own. But, as the alliance picture was not clear, he had also said that in case of pre-poll tie-up, they could garner 300 seats. Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats.The frequent meetings Kishor had with the SP leadership and the interactions between Mulayam and Ajit Singh of Rashtriya Lok Dal had triggered speculation that a coalition could be on the cards. Leaders of the erstwhile Janata Parivar who had attended the gala SP silver jubilee bash here too had underlined the need to halt BJP in its tracks by joining hands. Akhilesh had, however, said the decision on cobbling together a coalition was not that easy. “Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) is an experienced leader. He will take the right decision…,” he had said, parrying a direct reply on whether a ‘maha-gathbandhan’ was on the anvil.
Rajnath Singh in Kairana: Why BJP can’t get over it’s ‘maa ka doodh’ obsession
Bollywood must immediately find the identity of the BJP’s speechwriter.
It may finally discover an heir to the Salim-Javed legacy.
On Monday, while speaking at a rally in Kairana, BJP leader and India’s home minister Rajnath Singh thundered in his famed baritone: “Those using muscle power to terrorise people… hum dekhenge ki usne kitna mas ka doodh piya hai.”
Maa ka doodh, Bollywood has shown us, is the ultimate proof of courage; the elixir that separates real men from those brought up presumably on cow’s milk.
File image of Union minister Rajnath Singh. CNN-News18
On the big screen, when Amitabh Bachchan bashed up baddies bred on dabbe ka doodh (Mard) and challenged goons who had partaken of maa ka doodh (Khoon Pasina) to come and face him, it evoked thunderous applause, inducing the audience to throw coins at the screen. One could almost imagine the taalis and seetis that rang out when Rajnath delivered those lines in Kairana.
When it comes to expressing a hero’s anger and machismo, it would rank just alongside Dharmendra’s biggest contribution to cinema: Ka****e, mein tera doodh khoon pi jaoonga (Sholay).
Rajnath is obviously angry. Perhaps he is fuming just the way he was when told that Hafiz Saeed was behind the JNU ruckus last year. So, unable to control his emotions, he is dealing in screen-shattering dialogue. (At the same venue he claimed to have told Pakistan “seena thok ke” about its terror links.)
But, who are these people whose childhood dietary preferences he wants to check out? And why?
Kairana, it is evident, is the new Ayodhya or Muzaffarnagar for the BJP. With elections on the horizon, it wants to hardsell Kairana as a symbol of the imminent threat to Hindus by you-know-who.
In the BJP rule book of politics, polarisation is always the basic denominator in a poll equation. Having benefitted from Ayodhya, Gujarat, Muzaffarnagar, “Love Jihad”, beef ban and other emotive issues that polarise, the BJP always keeps looking with a fine-toothed comb for issues that could be turned into its new poll cry.
This election, it is trying to latch on to Kairana.
A few months ago, when BJP parliamentarian Hukum Singh released a list of Hindu families that had “migrated” from Kairana because of threat from Muslims, the BJP had pounced on the controversy like an eager child that has re-discovered its favourite toy. But, its enthusiasm was later dampened by reports that rebutted the claim. Several reports exposed the holes in Hukum’s theory.
It was established by several media organisations reporting from the ground that Kairana was battling a law and order problem. A war between gangs of local goons, unfortunately, was distorted by Hukum as an existential threat to Hindus. As Firstpost had argued then, it was yet another Malda moment — a mischievous misrepresentation of facts to raise the communal temperature of the state.
But, the BJP just can’t let Kairana go. It needs to continuously cry wolf to keep the electoral pot boiling. Why waste a good story for want of facts, no?
So, the BJP has entered the poll fray in Kairana with another Salim-Javed inspired slogan: Maa-behno ki aan mein, BJP maidan mein. Let’s hope they don’t forget to put Nihalchand Meghwal’s picture on posters to convey its concern for ma–behen.
It is unfortunate that the BJP has to go back to communal dog whistles to win UP. With the current Mahabharata in the Mulayam Singh Yadav parivar, rising anti-incumbency, disarray in the Congress whose leader Rahul Gandhi is competing in dialogue-baazi with corny stuff like ‘khoon ki dalali’ and the confusion among Mayawati’s supporters, the election should have been a cakewalk for the BJP.
Instead of going back to its regressive politics, the party could have worked on addressing the fault lines, healing the fragmented polity and society of the state and selling a development agenda for the state. But, its focus on emotive issues shows it lacks the courage to digress from its favourite formula.
Maybe, Rajnath is right. Perhaps it takes maa ka doodh to chart out a new path in a state as important as UP.
Parivartan rally: Amit Shah takes a dig at Yadav family infighting
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Kicking off UP poll campaign, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday took a dig at infighting in the Mulayam Singh Yadav family and targeted ruling Samajwadi Party as well as BSP, saying neither party is bothered about development of the state.Addressing ‘Parivartan rally’ (rally for change) in Saharanpur in western UP, he said the state has lagged behind in development because of SP and BSP rule and that only a BJP government with full majority can bring it back on track.”While on one hand, it is the nephew (Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav) who is abusing the uncle (SP state unit president Shivpal Yadav), on the other Behenji (BSP supremo Mayawati) is abusing both of them…No one is concerned about the development of the state,” Shah said.”The state has lagged behind a lot…SP and BSP cannot improve the situation here and it will be only the BJP government with full majority which can bring the state back on tracks,” he said.Attacking ‘goonda’ elements in the ruling SP, he alleged that the party is mired in illegal mining among other ills like corruption. Shah said while Akhilesh wants to project himself as ‘vikas purush’ (development man), people like mafia don Mukhtar Ansari are in his party despite the Chief Minister claiming they would not be allowed in.”The entire SP is filled with such people,” he added.Targeting Mayawati, the BJP chief said, “behanji says she will improve the situation but she has Naseemuddin Siddiqui”. He contended that, “it is between devil and deep sea for the people of the state in the context of these two parties.” Shah also took veiled dig at Samajwadi Party’s efforts to form a ‘mahagathbandhan’ ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls by hosting senior leaders of the erstwhile Janata Parivar in the state capital today, saying “they are happy shaking hands with each other..but what would happen by your shaking hands? In a democracy, government is formed only when the people shake hands with you”.Attacking Mayawati, he said though she claims to make the state “goonda free” (criminal free), she needs to recall the number of scams which took place during her previous government.”Citing the different scams worth thousands of crores, Shah alleged that all the funds meant for development were used in setting up memorials and statues. “If she returns to power, she will set up 200 to 300 more of her statues instead of doing any good for the state,” he said.
SP silver jubilee celebrations: Akhilesh Yadav cautions party against ‘damage’
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>As the power tussle between him and his uncle Shivpal played out in open on the silver jubilee celebrations of the Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said he was ready for any test and cautioned against “damage” to the party.”I will not reply to certain things. Ram Manohar Lohia ji used to say he would be heard but only after death. I want to say that people will hear but only after everything is damaged,” Akhilesh said. His remarks came after Shivpal Yadav took a swipe at his nephew, saying some people inherit power without doing anything while others get nothing despite making sacrifices.Akhilesh said, “If you want to take my test, I am ready for any thing. Our target is to defeat BJP and BSP in 2017 elections. This UP election will decide future of the country”, he said.”The party (BJP) which got over 70 (out of 80) seats in Lok Sabha polls did nothing for the state except giving model villages scheme. BJP created differences in the society by Muzaffarnagar and Kairana incidents. SP will return in UP and will not let such forces to rise” he added.The SP has been battling a family feud between Akhilesh and Shivpal. While Mulayam has been insisting that all is well in the party, both Shivpal and Akhilesh have been making statements exposing the rift in the party.In a bid to portray a united front ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections, the feuding first family had come together on Thursday to flag off Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘rath yatra’ here . Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal, with whom the Chief Minister was locked in a bitter power struggle, had extended him “best wishes”.Pointing at Gayatrai Prasad Prajapati, who was sacked by him earlier, Akhilesh said without any reference, “Prajapati has given be sword (at the event). You gave me sowrd and don’t want to use it.” Earlier, when the event started, Akhilesh and Shivpal were given swords which they accepted smilingly.Highlighting works of his government, the UP CM said that besides starting metro, construction of roads and expressway, pension was given to 55 lakh women.”In past 25 years, SP has come a long way but we have to think for next 25 years. Socialist ideology will take us forward. We were labelled as anti-English but we clarified that it is so when it is at the cost of ‘Lokbhasha’,” he said.Calling laptop scheme, the most ambitious scheme of his government, Akhilesh claimed that no where in the country any government did so. Speaking about the venue of the event – Janeshwar Mishra park, he said that ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam) had made Ram Manohar Lohia park, where people go to “take oxygen”.”We have made 400 acre Janeshwar Mishra park, which is ‘biggest’ in the world. Despite so much crowd, which is dispersed in the entire park, the park is looking empty…”
Mulayam Singh advices PM Modi to visit families of martyrs
Lucknow: SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit families of martyrs and said he does not advocate Indo-Pak war but a middle path so that soldiers do not have to make the supreme sacrifice to protect the borders.
File image of Mulayam Singh Yadav. PTI
“We don’t want any Indo-Pak war or soldiers sacrificing lives on border, there should be a via media solution,” he said flagging off Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav‘s rath yatra. “As the defence minister, I used to visit families of martyr soldiers. I want our PM to visit their families.
I salute families and want to say they might be in grief but they should be proud that their son died while securing our borders,” he said. “Ram Manohar Lohia had given message of humanity at international level and SP believes in it,” he said.
Targeting the Modi government over the alleged suicide by an ex-serviceman over OROP issue, Akhilesh said the “forces which came to power” (at Centre), have “diverted the path of the country”.
“Those sacrificing their lives on borders to save us are also committing suicide. You should think which type of people are ruling us. We have to make SP government in 2017 as only it can bring a change the country,” he added. An ex-serviceman had allegedly committed suicide in New Delhi on Tuesday over the issue of OROP.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Rath Yatra on Thursday, confusion over presence of Mulayam and Shivpal
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Utter confusion prevailed in ruling Samajwadi Party camp over presence of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav embarks on his highly-publicised ‘Rath Yatra’ on Thursday. Seen as a showdown or show of strength just two days ahead of another gala event to mark SP’s silver jubilee, all eyes are on party patriarch Mulayam and Shivpal, the state unit chief, as their presence or absence would reflect as to how far SP was united before UP Assembly polls early next year. When Shivpal was specifically asked whether he would be present at the rath yatra flagging off event, he ducked the question adding to the suspense.”I am engaged in preparations for silver jubilee celebrations. If there is yatra on November 3, there is silver jubilee show on November 5,” he said, leaving everyone guessing about his participation. There was no categorical word either on reports that Mulayam will flag off the ‘Vikas Sey Vijay Tak Yatra’. To a question, Shivpal said, “Party workers should read history of socialism. There is importance of discipline in the party. You have seen that on October 24 those who were not invited, also came to the party meet.”In the light of the statement, Mulayam’s presence at the ‘rath yatra’ will be keenly observed. “It depends on to what extent Akhilesh is able to convince his father Mulayam to attend the yatra,” an SP leader said.Expelled SP MLC Sunil Yadav Sajan, who is close to Akhilesh, told PTI that all arrangements have been made. “The yatra will be flagged off by ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam) and senior party leaders including party state president Shivpal Yadav will also remain present,” he said. Sajan, who is also incharge of first leg of the yatra, said at every second kilometre, the CM will be welcomed and he will also address gatherings at various locations. During the yatra, dozens of roadside meetings and a few rallies would be held at different places.A cavalcade of over 5,000 SUVs and trucks will seek to send a message to the party leadership that 43-year-old Akhilesh is the “most acceptable” face of SP. The over 60-km yatra route from Lucknow to Unnao is dotted with hoardings, banners and colourful arches to welcome the chief minister. A hoarding put up by a youth leader close to Shivpal says “Shivpal kahey dil se, Akhilesh ka abhishek phir se” (Shivpal says from his heart to make Akhilesh CM again), while some others only highlight Akhilesh’s achievements.”The hoardings put up by the leaders show the state of confusion in the party. It’s visible on roads. We wish this confusion to end with the start of this yatra,” a senior SP leader said. The yatra comes at a time when Mulayam is seeking to cobble together a ‘mahagathbandhan’ and has sent out invitations to all “secular and like-minded” leaders of various parties like RLD, RJD and JD-U. Last week, Mulayam and Shivpal had met JD(U) leader K C Tyagi and RLD chief Ajit Singh to invite them to the anniversary bash in Lucknow.Shivpal had said Lohiaites and followers of Charan Singh should join hands to beat BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor yesterday held a two-hour meeting with Mulayam, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties. Addressing a meeting at SP office, Shivpal today said, “After Bihar, the party had planned a ‘gathbandhan’ in Odisha also but some people in our party did a conspiracy…I can tolerate my insult but not of ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam)”.Shivpal said that former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Ajit Singh and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav will attend the silver jubilee show. He cautioned those workers “who want to break the party” but did not take any name.Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar’s grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there.The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a glorious electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA.Shivpal said the party organisation in bigger than the government. “I have given place in the organisation to workers who struggled for the party and were sidelined in the government,” he said, an apparent snipe at Akhilesh.
Firebrand crackers: Samajwadi rockets, Mayawati bombs a hit in UP!
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Samajwadi rockets and Mayawati bombs have flooded the Diwali firecrackers market here with traders seeking to cash in on the highly surcharged political atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the crucial Assembly elections barely a few months hence.Packets containing ‘Samajwadi rockets’ have the picture of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav feeding sweets to “outsider” Amar Singh, who is being dubbed as a villain in the power game in the ruling party and Yadav clan.The cover of another cracker packet shows BSP supremo Mayawati staring furiously with words ‘Angry Bomb’ written next to her photo.’Akhilesh ki lari unlimited’ is another hit item with a string of 1,000 crackers. The packets carry the photograph of the Chief Minister, who is very popular among the youths and has virtually emerged as their ‘undisputed’ leader in the run-up to the Assembly elections. “As the state braces for the battle of ballots in early 2017, the current political developments and the mood of the masses have caught our imagination,” said a roadside cracker stall owner in Hazratganj, the busy commercial hub in the state capital.The crackers are being purchased by youths and politicians as well by those finding the items fascinating, as the tussle in the Mulayam family has become the talk of the town. The strife-torn Yadav clan has left everyone guessing whether Mulayam’s family members will celebrate Diwali together with the same mirth and enthusiasm as the crisis in the party appeared far from over.Usually it is an atmosphere of bonhomie during festivals when the clan’s top leaders take a break from the rough and tumble of politics, and assemble in their ancestral village Saifai or in the state capital especially on occasions like Holi and Diwali, besides family functions like wedding ceremonies, engagements and house warming.Old timers said the family had never missed any celebration at Saifai in Etawah district, notwithstanding political compulsions. But this time, they are keeping their fingers crossed.
Yadav v/s Yadav: Never wanted to become chief minister – Shivpal Yadav
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was sacked from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday, said he never nurtured an ambition to become the chief minister and will always remain a “disciplined soldier” of his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav. Talking to reporters here, en route to Saharanpur, he said,”I never wanted to become chief minister. Had I wanted, I could have been in 2003 but I supported Mulayam Singh Yadav and he became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh”.Shivpal said that he may or may not be the SP state president but will always remain a “disciplined soldier of Netaji (Mulayam)”.He said SP will form a ‘Maha Gathbandhan’, as was in Bihar polls, with secular parties to check BJP from wresting power in Uttar Pradesh.
Yadav vs Yadav: Amar Singh says he’ll back Netaji’s son Akhilesh, not CM Akhilesh
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who has been portrayed as an antagonist by the Akhilesh Yadav camp in the ongoing feud within the Samajwadi Party, on Friday broke his silence and said that he may not be on board with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, but will always back party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son.”I may not be with CM Akhilesh, but I will always be with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh. The father of the SP and the Chief Minister are the same, and God stands as a testimony that whenever I spoke to Netaji, it was in favour of Akhilesh. Netaji also knows this truth,” Singh told ANI in an exclusive conversation while responding to Akhilesh’s allegations.”When I was struggling for life and undergoing a dialysis, Netaji had come to meet me and he said there was a discussion on the issue of state president and when Akhilesh Yadav replaced Shivpal Yadav as the UP SP president, even then, I was blamed for it,” he added.
ALSO READ Hurt by Akhilesh’s dalal remark, says Amar SinghThe Rajya Sabha MP also attempted to play the emotional card in his bid to end the ongoing dispute in the Yadav clan.”When his (Akhilesh’s) family was opposing his marriage, I was the only who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding, where this ‘dalal’ is not there,” he said while responding to the ‘dalal’ allegation.
ALSO READ Yadav v/s Yadav: Akhilesh ups ante against Shivpal, says “will continue as CM””It is possible to meet Rahul Gandhi, but meeting Akhilesh is difficult. If my ‘bali’ (sacrifice) can solve the problem, I am ready for it,” he added.Singh, who returned to the Samajwadi Party after six years in exile, has been accused by Akhilesh of instigating the current crisis that has deeply divided the Yadav family.
ALSO READ Yadav vs Yadav: Shivpal expels Akhilesh’s minister from Samajwadi PartyThe chief minister’s supporters allege that the Rajya Sabha MP is helping his uncle Shivpal Yadav plot his removal as the chief minister.The Akhilesh camp also sees Singh’s hand in Shivpal being made the Samajwadi Party’s Uttar Pradesh chief in place of Akhilesh last month. This move gives Shivpal direct control of choosing candidates for the assembly elections next year.However, the Samajwadi Party supremo had earlier this week described Singh as “my brother” and said that his past sins were forgiven.He also reprimanded his son and backed the Chief Minister’s b’te noire Shivpal.
Yadav PariWar
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>When Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh was expelled seven years ago, Uttar Pradesh strongman Mulayam Singh Yadav had been convinced that Singh wanted to wrest control of the party from old socialist loyalists and his trusted family members. It was then that Ram Gopal Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and other party loyalists who ensured that Singh was shown the door. Shivpal Yadav, however, reportedly stayed in touch with the ousted politician – who had brought Bollywood glamour to the usually dour Samajwadi Party – at a personal level.The peace, like many others in political families, was not meant to hold. Equations in the extended Yadav parivaar began to lose their balance.With the passing away of old loyalists and socialists like Janeshwar Mishra and Mohan Singh, aging of Revati Raman Singh and defection of Beni Prasad Verma to Congress during the UPA’s second five-year reign of power at the Centre, Mulayam’s dependence on his family only grew.The elections of 2012 brought a period of consolidation to the Yadav family. United around a massive electoral victory, areas of influence were divided between three party stalwarts. Ram Gopal Yadav , the Delhi face of the party, was given charge of NOIDA, Greater Noida and western UP, all of which had earlier been handled by Amar Singh. Shivpal Yadav took the lower Doab region and Azam Khan was allowed to have his writ run large in Rohilkhand region. Mulayam, who has long be rumoured to harbour prime ministerial ambitions. set his sights on Delhi.It was under this arrangement that Akhilesh Yadav started his stint as the chief minister of one of India’s most populous – and politically critical – states; what was lacking was the sweeping powers that an office such as this carries.The arrangement started to unravel in only two years. Things changed with 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Mulayam dreams of becoming Prime Minister were crushed under the Modi juggernaut as the SP crashed spectacularly in UP, its home turf. Added to this were legal cases which had been pending.Meanwhile, Akhilesh continued to induct young leaders as he headed the state unit. He introduced changes which were seen as alien to the functioning of the party. Buoyed with the idea of “Umeed ki Cycle”, Akhilesh worked around an administrative system appointed – and controlled – by his father. He introduced his laptop scheme, got advisors from abroad, and also opened a small war room for strategising. Sources close to the young CM admit that all Akhilesh could do was bide his time, knowing that top bureaucrats were direct appointees of Mulayam and Shivpal and that he couldn’t do much.Then came developments which irked the Akhilesh camp. Pratik Yadav, Mulayam Singh’s son from his second marriage to Sadhna Gupta, started acquiring a public profile. Sources close to the family say that Akhilesh had always been opposed to the idea of Pratik or his family being in the spotlight. The family’s proximity to Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav further complicated matters. Then came the issue of Pratik’s wife Aparna getting into the spotlight in the political arena – she contested on the SP ticket in Lucknow; for Akhilesh, a Lakshman Rekha had been crossed.Mattes came to a head with the re-emergence of the Amar Singh-Shivpal Yadav axis and their continued support to Sadhna Gupta’s family. Largely unnoticed, Akhilesh moved into a separate bungalow allotted to himself next to his father’s official bungalow. Through his tenure he never shifted to the official CM’s residence but quietly shifted out of his father’s house in 2016. It was a quiet acknowledgement of discord within the Yadav parivar.Amar Singh’s re-induction into the party and nomination to Rajya Sabha didn’t help, either. What surprised Akhilesh was Singh’s elevation as General Secretary, since he hadn’t been kept in the loop. Around this time, Shivpal Yadav’s ambitions also soared; the perennial bridesmaid, say sources, felt that this was his only chance of becoming CM.These developments were further complicated by two things. One, that Mulayam became further obliged to Singh for his intervention in his legal matters – and which he admitted to in the recent party meeting. The second, according to party sources is that his memory was no longer what it was, and those close to Akhilesh felt that Shivpal faction was taking undue advantage of this.Sources close to Akhilesh say the tipping point came when Singh, in a private conversation with Mulayam and other senior leaders and bureaucrats, objected to the CM’s functioning. These sources add that Shivpal and other senior bureaucrats did not object to this but just carried along with the conversation.Akhilesh was convinced now that a vendetta campaign was being organised against him. Sources close to him say he resented being branded as an incompetent leader and decided to change that perception, even at the cost of the party’s unity. Meanwhile, Singh’s frustration is being attributed to him not getting work cleared by the CM’s office, an influence he enjoyed liberally during the party’s 2002-2007 stint in government.It was because of this purported conversation that Akhilesh brought the axe down on Shivpal, sacking his uncle and his loyalists from various ministerial and bureaucratic positions. This took Mulayam by surprise and, in turn, confirmed his suspicion that Akhilesh wanted to run the party without consulting him. Mulayam also suspected that Ram Gopal Yadav was acting as the brains behind Akhilesh’s decisions.The result: Akhilesh was sacked as the state party president. Though a truce was called, it remained fragile. Shivpal continued to sack people close to Akhilesh, while the latter became convinced that he needed to wrest control of the party to revive his faltering image.And then Akhilesh Yadav crossed the rubicon, sacking Shivpal and his associates from ministerial and other part posts . In retaliation, Ram Gopal Yadav was sacked by Shivpal.Since then it became a politics of brutal quid pro quo. Shivpal raised the stakes by sacking Pawan Pandey, a sitting minister in Akhilesh’s Cabinet on the grounds that he roughed up Ashu Mallik in the chief ministerial compound.Sources say it is now a naked fight for power and organisation between uncle and son, adding that Akhilesh wants to ease out Shivpal out of Lucknow. Shivpal, too, reportedly doesn’t want to go back to government and has started the process of shifting to his private bungalow.The only thing which remains civil in this uncivil PariWar is that both son and father have not escalated the matter beyond redemption. But if push comes to shove, the future of the Samajwadi Party is at stake.
UP polls 2017: Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘Vikas’ rath yatra to start from November 3
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday finalised its Vikas rath yatra, which will leave from Lucknow to Kanpur on November 3.”Lakhs of youths will participate in the yatra, which will prove to be the turning point of politics. At every halt, Akhilesh will be welcomed by youths, farmers, minority and he will also address the gathering,” Cabinet minsiter Rajendra Chowdhury said.”The yatra will be a sort of catalyst for a change in politics. Akhilesh will try to break communalism and casteism through the yatra in which he will be highlighting development works done by his government,” he added.Stating that the yatra will establish new identity of Akhilesh “leadership” and will also ensure success for 2017 assembly polls, Chowdhury said it would reach every corner of the state. A lot of arrangements have been made by Team Akhilesh for the success of the yatra, in which besides video titled ‘Kaam Bolta Hai’ (Work speaks), showing the CM working tirelessly will also be shown.Arrangements are being made to ensure huge success of the yatra, amidst family tussle to establish Akhilesh as “indisputed” political heir of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Yadav vs Yadav: Mulayam back as Samajwadi party face; fires another salvo at Akhilesh
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday fired another salvo at his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav, when he declared that the party doesn’t have the tradition of projecting any one person as its face. Only the elected legislators will decide on their leader.Mulayam made it abundantly clear that the party would be its own face for the polls, and it would not be dependent on any single individual. Mulayam was flanked by Akhilesh’s bitter foe, uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, and the four other leaders who were unceremoniously sacked from the UP cabinet by Akhilesh last week.”Last time people voted me to power, I made him (Akhilesh) the Chief Minister. Previous elections were fought in my name,” said Mulayam. Insiders say this is a clear indication that Mulayam has thrown his hat into the ring and wants his son to get off his high horse.Sources in his camp say the supremo’s release of a statement speaking of party workers, the electorate, and himself is a clear message that he is trying to reclaim the command he had bestowed his son.On the other hand, sources close to Akhilesh Yadav claimed that despite the patriarch’s positioning, stalemate can continue as MLAs are against instability before the Assembly elections and want the party to quickly shift into campaign mode.When asked about the status of the sacked ministers, Mulayam said, “I have left it to the CM. He needs to take a call.” Though he reaffirmed that no one has actually come to him seeking the removal of Akhilesh as CM, Mulayam continues to be angry with Ram Gopal Yadav and clearly stated that he doesn’t give any weight to what he has said in the last two days.Even as Mulayam insisted that both family and party will remain united, all eyes are now on Akhilesh Yadav, who since Monday has maintained a studious silence.Once Mulayam was done with the news conference inside the party office in Lucknow, the crowd outside started shouting slogans for Akhilesh to be reinstated as the party’s State President. The commotion lasted for an hour and both Mulayam and Shivpal had to cool their heels inside the party office along with news persons.
dna Evening Must Reads: Updates on Cyrus Mistry’s exit; ADHM row; Samajwadi Party crisis; and more
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Tata group files caveats to prevent Cyrus Mistry from getting order against his sackingTata group filed caveats in Supreme Court, Bombay High Court and National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday to prevent ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry from getting an ex-parte order against his sacking. Read more hereADHM row: Had opposed MNS’ demand of Rs 5 crore for Army fund, says Maharashtra CM FadnavisFacing heat over “brokering” a deal between producers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis maintained that he had opposed the offer of Rs 5 crore contribution from the film makers to the Army welfare fund. Read more here Mulayam says Akhilesh will take final call on Shivpal’s re-inclusion, non-committal on next CM candidateA day after high drama at a key meeting of a ruling Samajwadi Party, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will decide on reinstating sacked ministers. Read more here. ‘Kahaani 2’ Trailer: Vidya Balan will leave you stunned in this edge-of-the-seat thrillerVidya Balan is back with a BANG in Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, the sequel to her 2012 blockbuster Kahaani. The makers of the film have finally unveiled its trailer and it has piqued our interest already. Watch it here Uri attack: Lashkar-e-Taiba claims responsibility in posters, says reportThe claim comes in spite of Pakistan’s rejection of India’s allegations that terrorists based in that country were involved in the Uri attack. Read more hereHindutva verdict: SC not to go into issue of HinduismThe Supreme Court, which is hearing a contentious matter relating to electoral malpractices arising out of its 1995 judgement, popularly known as the ‘Hindutva’ verdict, on Tuesday said it would not examine the issue of religion at this stage. Read more here
Samajwadi Party like feud brewing in Lalu Yadav’s family: Sushil Modi
Patna: Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday claimed a Samajwadi Party-like feud is brewing within RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s family too which will “explode” any day.
“Lalu Prasad is trying to calm down the discontentment within his family. He has himself planted the seed of discontentment by breaking the age-old tradition as per which the eldest son is the successor to the throne…
RJD president Lalu Prasad. AFP.
“But Lalu declared younger son Tejashwi as his heir by making him the Deputy Chief Minister over his eldest daughter (Misa Bharti) and elder son (Tej Pratap Yadav),” he claimed. “There is a cold war going on inside Prasad’s family at present. The discontentment in his family is not going to end and will explode any day,” Modi said.
He exhorted Lalu Prasad’s minister sons – Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav – to come out of their parents’ shadow and follow the path of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who stood against the merger of Mukhtar Ansari’s party Quami Ekta Dal into Samajwadi Party.
“Similarly, they (Tejashwi and Tej Pratap) should also oppose the presence of people like Mohammad Shahabuddin and Raj Ballabh Yadav, MLA charged with raping a minor girl, in RJD,” he said, adding, “This will help them in creating their own identities like Akhilesh Yadav.”
Lalu Prasad’s daughter is married to Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, the Mainpuri MP and the grandson of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sushil Modi also claimed the two principal partners of the ruling grand secular alliance – JD(U) and RJD have “clashing interest” over the crisis within Samajwadi Party.
“JD(U) is happy over the incident in Uttar Pradesh as they want to see a split in Samajwadi Party. They are supporting Akhilesh Yadav indirectly so that they can have some kind of electoral adjustment there while RJD, the other partner of the grand alliance, is supporting Mulayam Singh Yadav,” the BJP leader claimed.
Mulayam says Akhilesh will take final call on Shivpal’s re-inclusion, non-committal on next CM candidate
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A day after high drama at a key meeting of a ruling Samajwadi Party, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will decide on reinstating sacked ministers. “CM Akhilesh to decide on reinstating sacked ministers,” said Mulayam. At the press conference, SP state chief Shivpal Yadav accompanied Mulayam, however, Akhilesh was conspicuous by his absence. Mulayam however maintained silence on the next UP chief minister candidate. “Wait for majority in the upcoming polls, you will know who will become the new CM.”Mulayam says Samajwadi Party got majority in Uttar Pradesh Assembly in 2012 because of him. “Yes, it is true that a majority was in my name in 2012. We made Akhilesh the chief minister, now it is up to him to carry out responsibilities,” said the SP supremo. When asked if he would take over the CM’s post, Mulayam said, “Only two months are left for elections, why think about this now?”Talking about Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam said, “I do not give importance to him anymore.”At Monday’s meeting, Mulayam Singh sided with his younger brother Shivpal and friend Amar Singh, and reprimanded son Akhilesh but ruled out his removal as Chief Minister. Akhilesh first had offered to step down but later accused Amar Singh and those close to him of hatching a “conspiracy” against him and his father.There were sharp exchanges between Akhilesh and Mulayam, who virtually dismissed him as an insignificant entity in UP politics who could not win an election without his support.”What is your capability? Can you win elections?” he said, snapping at Akhilesh.Addressing the gathering Akhilesh ruled out forming a new party, a claim which Shivpal disputed, saying he was prepared to “swear” by his son and “Ganga Jal” that the Chief Minister had told him he would indeed float a new party and contest the assembly polls in alliance with some political party.The proceedings reached a flashpoint when Akhilesh accused Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh, who recently returned to SP, of having planted a story in a leading English daily in which he was called ‘Aurangzeb’ and Mulayam ‘Shahjahan’.
Azam Khan responsible for crisis in Samajwadi Party: Shia Cleric
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A prominent Shia cleric on Monday held UP Minister Azam Khan for the present crisis in SP and accused him of “misguiding” Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to pick up a fight with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and state unit president Shivpal Yadav to create a mistrust in the family and he gets the CM’s post.”Akhilesh Yadav has been misguided by none other than Azam Khan. It is the wily leader of Rampur who has been leading SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son to tread a path that would lead to disaster. He is a young man with a long future. He should understand Khan’s design and mend fences with his father and uncle,” Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad told reporters here.The Shia cleric, who was here to take part in a religious function, sought to buttress his point by stating “we must recall that a few years ago, when Khan was expelled from SP, he had vowed to destroy the party. He may have been re-inducted, but he is too vindictive to have rekindled his loyalty towards the party. He will do everything to ensure that the party, of which the Yadav family is the backbone, gets ruined.”He alleged that Khan had shown “no concern” towards the crisis in the party.”Earlier this year, he had callously called SP a sinking ship. He has done nothing to rescue the ship. He is only ensuring that Akhilesh gets confused and agitated, and the entire family gets plagued by mutual distrust. Khan thinks in such a situation, by default, he will get a chance to enjoy the CM’s post,” Jawwad alleged.Interestingly, Khan–perceived as the “Muslim face” of the party which has a following among the minority community people in the state–has been at loggerheads with clerics like Jawwad, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid at Delhi and hardline politicians like Hyderabad’s Asaduddin Owaisi.Without naming Amar Singh, Khan has repeatedly targeted the Rajya Sabha MP for the crisis, referring to him as “one single outsider” responsible for “unfortunate” developments in the party.His dislike for Singh is said to be shared by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who was snubbed on this count by Mulayam Singh Yadav at a party meeting in Lucknow held earlier in the day. The SP supremo also backed Shivpal, who has recently come out in strong support of Amar Singh.
Yadav vs Yadav: Pari’War’ could benefit Mayawati with support from Muslim community
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The acrimony in ruling Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections appears to have all the ingredients to change the electoral prospects of key players. Beleaguered Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has a support base among the middle class and Yadav voters, but which party the Muslims back could determine the outcome of the elections due early next year.The crisis in the SP is being keenly watched by BSP which expects to gain most in the present scenario. BSP has been able to consolidate Muslim electors in its support in the past too, despite SP being the main claimant to their votes. Muslims account for around 12% of the electorate and are a force to reckon with.BSP chief Mayawati had started her poll campaign asking the Muslim community to vote for her as supporting SP could benefit BJP. Analysts say her campaign coupled with the spree of attacks by ‘gau rakshak’ (cow vigilantes) on Muslims and Dalits have strongly polarised the electorate. With the ruling Samajwadi Party a divided house, the BSP would hope the Muslims would overwhelmingly vote for the party in order to prevent a split in minority votes which would benefit the BJP.BSP is also wooing Brahmins with party leader SC Misra, himself a Brahmin, reminding the voters that during Mayawati’s stint in power key administrative posts were held by members of that caste. Muslims have backed Mulayam for decades, but the infighting in SP ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations only means the party, whoever is at the helm, will have to manage this crucial vote bank shrewdly in the run up to the polls just few months away.The development has become a matter of worry for BJP as well. It has reasons to get worried because if Muslims shift their allegiance to BSP, it might upset the saffron party’s applecart.
Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh told me he would float new party, says Shivpal at SP meet
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>In the first open attack on his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav on Monday claimed the chief minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls, and urged SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to “take over reins of Uttar Pradesh”.Minutes after Akhilesh ruled out floating a new party, Shivpal said at the meeting of party legislators: “Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties.”Shivpal, who is at daggers drawn with the chief minister over a host of issues, said he was ready to vow for it. “I can swear by Gangajal,” he said.Referring to his long association with the party and his contributions towards strengthening it, Shivpal told party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, “Netaji, there is a need for you to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh.”Standing stoutly with Amar Singh, who is being accused of pitting one against the other in the family, he said, “Amar Singh ke charanon ki dhool bhi nahi ho aap log (Worth of all of you is not even one quarter of Amar Singh)”.He said that he had never severed his relations with Amar Singh and shared personal ties with him all through.Referring to the controversy over the merger of mafia don-turned-MLA Muktar Ansari’s QED with the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal said he (Ansari) was never taken into the party and that only rumours were spread in this regard.Shivpal also made a mention of his efforts to garner support of opposition party MLAs to ensure the smooth sail of SP nominees in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.”Do I have no contribution in government formation…Have my departments not done good work? Even opposition party leaders laud the works… The CM should tell where I have not done enough…despite not being invited, I used to go to CM’s house,” he said.At the meeting, Shivpal and Akhilesh traded charges at each other on dais.Amid the commotion, Shivpal snatched the mike from the chief minister.Snubbing Akhilesh’s supporters, Shivpal said the party has been strengthened through the hard work and sweat of Mulayam Singh and not “because of your sloganeering”.When Shivpal said he had been working for the organisation all these four years visiting each district three to four times, someone in the audience pointed out that he had travelled using government helicopter.Shivpal retorted: “Helicopter kya tumhare baap ka hai, main mantri tha government mein (Did your father own the helicopter? I was a minister in the government).”
Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh breaks down at SP meet; offers to step down as CM
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Seeking to put at rest speculation, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday ruled out forming any new party and offered to step down if the party supremo and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav so desires.Akhilesh broke down while addressing a meeting of party legislators, ministers and MPs convened here by Mulayam Singh Yadav at the party headquarters, outside which supporters of rival SP factions exchanged blows prompting police to use force to disperse them.Amid protests from his supporters, Akhilesh offered to step down as CM if Mulayam so desired.”Let ‘netaji’ (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest,” he said.”Why should I form a new party?” he posed in an emotionally choked voice.At the meeting Akhilesh said all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people.”Merey pita, merey guru hain (my father is my guru)” he said.The Chief Minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrong doing.His uncle Shivpal was present at the meeting.The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Akhilesh engaged in a face-off with his father by sacking each other’s loyalists Ramgopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.
Yadav vs Yadav: PariWar pushes Samajwadi to verge of split; BJP demands floor test
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The brewing family feud within the Yadav clan has spilled over and stands at a precipice from where it may soon hurtle the Samajwadi Party into a vertical split. As the Mahabharat between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav enters the final round, indications are that with push coming to shove, the younger Yadav may split the party before the UP assembly elections. The final curtain may fall on Monday when Mulayam takes a decision after assessing the developments in a high-level meeting of party leaders.Situation precipitated on Sunday tumbling SP into chaos with quid pro quo sackings of each others’ close confidants by both Akhilesh and Mulayam. As soon as Akhilesh sacked Balram Yadav, Shadab Fatim, Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, considered close to Amar Singh, Mulayam responded by expelling party’s face in the parliament for last 20 years, Ramgopal Yadav, also considered to be the mentor of the new avatar of Akhilesh.In a no holds barred press briefing, Shivpal announced Ramgopal’s expulsion for six years from the party for conspiring against the party in cahoots with the BJP. Praising the chief minister for his development works, Shivpal asked Akhilesh not to fall in Ramgopal’s trap. Sources confided that Akhilesh is ready with a new symbol for the new outfit that may be called Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party with motorcycle replacing cycle as its symbol.Yet the younger Yadav kept the window open for last minute compromise with his father saying that he would attend the Silver Jubilee function of Samajwadi Party on November 5. Sensing opportunity in the raging feud , BJP state party chief Keshav Prasad Maurya demanded a floor test. While top SP leaders were cautious and refrained from taking anybody but Netaji’s (Mulayam) side, despair seems to be writ large on the lower rung leaders and party cadre who are in a dilemma on how to approach public in coming elections.The fresh twist to the drama came all of a sudden when Ramgopal Yadav wrote an open letter to the party cadres from Mumbai at 6 AM asking them to put their full faith only in Akhilesh Yadav. Exhorting cadres “who have shed blood and suffered humiliation for the party” to rally behind Akhilesh with whom stand people, Ramgopal said “victory is there where Akhilesh is”.His letter came in the backdrop of Shivpal Yadav expelling Udaiveer Singh, a member of the legislative council, for six years on Saturday after he wrote a letter to Mulayam asking him step down as SP president to make way for Akhilesh.Hardening the already drawn battle lines, Ramgopal responded again in the evening by writing another letter, this time titled “for publication”. Describing Mulayam Singh as “not only his elder brother but Guru who taught him politics” Ramgopal asked him to come out of the clutches of “demonic powers”.Refuting charges of conspiring with the BJP, Ramgopal appealed to the party cadres not to come in anyone’s “delusion and deception” and “stay united” behind Akhilesh.
Yadav vs Yadav: Ramgopal, Shivpal become collateral damage; Akhilesh says won’t quit party
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Ruling Samajwadi Party appeared to be headed for a split on Sunday as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his party supremo and father Mulayam Singh were engaged in an open face-off, sacking each other’s loyalists Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav.While Akhilesh sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party’s state unit chief, along with three other “pro-Amar Singh” ministers from his Cabinet, his father hit back by dismissing Ramgopal, pro-CM cousin and SP’s national general secretary, from the party for six years.The fast-paced developments unfolded on Sunday morning when Akhilesh held a meeting of party legislators, a day ahead of a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers called by Mulayam where some more tough decisions were likely to be taken.After the meeting, the Chief Minister recommended to Governor Ram Naik that Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (all Cabinet ministers) and Sayeda Shadab Fatima (MoS – Independent charge) be sacked from his ministry. This was accepted immediately.While the meeting was underway, hundreds of Akhilesh’s supporters collected outside his residence, raising slogans in his favour. Significantly, before Akhilesh announced the sacking of Shivpal and three other ministers.’Where Akhilesh is, victory follows’: Ramgopal YadavRamgopal issued a letter written to party workers, expressing support to the Chief Minister and warning those opposing him.”Those who oppose Akhilesh won’t be able to show their faces in the legislative assembly. Where Akhilesh is, victory follows,” he said in the letter.After his sacking, Shivpal met Mulayam at his residence, which is just nearby that of the CM’s bungalow. Hours later, he announced that the SP chief had expelled Ramgopal from the party for six years.Shivpal told mediapersons that Ramgopal was colluding with BJP and had thrice met a senior leader of the saffron party to save himself and his son from a CBI probe in connection with alleged involvement in the Yadav Singh Noida scam probe. He said he was not worried about being dropped from the government and declared that the state Assembly elections would be fought under leadership of Mulayam.Launching a scathing attack on Ramgopal, Shivpal said he was tarnishing the image of SP by dabbling in corruption, colluding with BJP and weakening Mulayam’s leadership.”On Mulayam’s directive, Ramgopal is being stripped of his posts of party spokesman and national general secretary and is being expelled from the party for six years,” Shivpal said, giving rise to intense speculation about an imminent split.Party legislators who met at the residence of the Chief Minister on Sunday were said to be in a belligerent mood, opposing any action that could sideline Akhilesh in the run-up to the Assembly polls. The tenor of the delegates was to crack the whip on supporters of Amar Singh, whose induction into the party two months ago had triggered a similar hullabaloo, according to party sources.The developments came a day after Akhilesh skipped an important strategy meeting of SP district and city unit presidents called by Shivpal. The CM instead separately met the delegates later at his official residence. SP old-timers Beni Prasad Verma and Reoti Raman Singh tried to mediate a thaw to the ongoing crisis, but their efforts did not yield any positive result.The tussle in the party began last month when Mulayam replaced 43-year-old Akhilesh with his 61-year-old uncle Shivpal to the post of UP party chief, and also expelled several youth leaders seen as close to Akhilesh. Shivpal’s sacking on Sunday came a day after a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, MLC Udayveer Singh was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Udayveer was sacked a few days after he shot off a stinging letter to Mulayam accusing his second wife of hatching a conspiracy against the Chief Minister. The letter also mentions the use of black magic against Akhilesh by his step-mother.While asking Mulayam to clarify on his political successor, Udayveer also demanded that Akhilesh be made the party’s national president so that there was no room for speculation or doubt. Udayveer had earlier this week announced that he along with other Akhilesh loyalists would boycott the SP’s silver jubilee celebrations in protest protest the expulsion of many of their colleagues by Mulayam and Shivpal.Shivpal announced on Sunday the new top office-bearers of the party’s front organisations the Yuvajan Sabha, minority wing, Mulyam Singh Youth brigade and Lohia Vahini.As crisis deepened in the ruling Samajwadi Party, opposition BJP sought to fish in troubled waters, saying the Governor should ask Akhilesh to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly and till he did so, he should not take any policy decision.”CM Akhilesh Yadav should resign or prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly,” UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters.”A government reduced to minority should not take any policy decision,” he said.Akhilesh Yadav to form new party?As the confrontation between Akhilesh and Mulayam appeared to have reached a point of no return, reports were already doing the rounds that the Chief Minister could launch a new party — National Samajwadi Party or Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party with motorcycle as its symbol.The main cause of friction between the father and the son has been re-appointment of Amar Singh as the party’s national general secretary, almost six years after he was removed from the SP. Along with it, trouble brewed in the party after Shivpal forced merger of a political outfit headed by former gangster Muqtar Ansari with SP. Akhilesh initially refused entry to the Qaumi Ekta Dal, but was later forced into submission by his father.Shivpal calculated that the new affiliation would boost the Samajwadi Party’s standing among Muslims, especially in eastern UP. But, Akhilesh was convinced it would allow the opposition to accuse the party of teaming with a nefarious leader for political gain.Incidentally, the developments have thrown cold water over the upcoming silver jubilee anniversary of the party on November 5, which could be given a miss by Akhilesh who has announced a ‘rath yatra’ from November 3. Senior Minister says Akhilesh has no plans of leaving the party”I will remain in the party and will keep strengthening it,” senior minister Rajendra Chaudhary quoted Akhilesh as having told the meeting of SP legislature party at his residence.The Chief Minister also said he would participate in all programmes of the party and participate in the silver jubiliee celebrations of SP on November 5, Chaudhary said in a press release.At the same time, he said, he would go ahead with his ‘rath yatra’ that begins on November 3.
BJP bats for development, says UP fed up with Mulayam family politics
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Dubbing the expulsion of Samajwadi Party MLC Udayveer Singh for six years as one more ‘drama’, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that the people of Uttar Pradesh are fed up with the theatrics of the party, and added that the saffron party can only provide development to the state.”This is one more drama in the Samajwadi Party. Whether somebody is expelled or somebody is fighting or agitating within, I would only want to say that the people of Uttar Pradesh are clearly fed up with the Samajwadi Party family drama. They want development and nothing but development which the BJP can offer,” BJP leader Shaina NC told ANI.Udayveer Singh’s expulsion from the party came after he accused Mulayam Singh’s second wife of being part of a conspiracy to oust Akhilesh Yadav.Singh, who is a member of the legislative council, also attacked state Samajwadi Party chief and Mulayam Singh’s brother Shivpal Yadav for being the ‘political front’ of the chief minister’s stepmother.The decision came after Mulayam met senior leaders yesterday to find ways to end the raging infighting which is threatening to take the party to the verge of a split.The crisis in the party escalated earlier on Friday when Akhilesh skipped the crucial party meeting convened by state unit chief and his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.Akhilesh, however, met the members separately at his residence after their meeting ended with Shivpal.
Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh skips meet, Shivpal declares him CM nominee
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> The rift in Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party widened further today with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav skipping a crucial meeting called by state party chief Shivpal Yadav to strategise for the assembly polls due early next year where the latter declared him the party’s chief ministerial face.Though Shivpal, the younger brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had met his nephew Akhilesh to personally invite him to a meeting of SP district and city units presidents, the Chief Minister kept away, indicating all was not well in the party despite repeated protestations by its senior leaders to the contrary. Sources present at the meeting said Shivpal, apparently seeking to bury the hatchet, made it clear that Akhilesh will be Samajwadi Party’s chief ministerial candidate, days after Mulayam virtually left the field open by saying the newly elected legislators will choose their leader, something which did not go down well with the camp followers of the incumbent CM.”Akhilesh Yadav will be the next CM, if party is voted to power. He will be our CM candidate,” Shivpal said, according to a leader present at the meeting where delegates were not allowed to carry mobile phones.Shivpal asked them to gear up for elections and also to ensure that the party’s silver jubilee celebrations on November 5 in the state capital was a grand show. “You all should start preparations for November 5 event and make it a big success,” Shivpal told them.Akhilesh, with whom Shivpal is engaged in a running feud over the last few months, has already made it clear in a letter to the Samajwadi Party boss and his father Mulayam that he would be proceeding on his ‘rath yatra’ on November 3 to highlight the development work done by his government, in a clear indication that he would skip that event too.With the tense stand-off between Akhilesh and Shivpal continuing, speculations about a possible split are rife with some even suggesting a new party named National Samajwadi Party or Pragatisheel Samajwadi party with motorcycle as its symbol could be formed by the Chief Minister ahead of the assembly elections. Akhilesh Yadav wants to have a major say in ticket distribution, but Shivpal a leader with grassroots support, is unwilling to cede any ground to his nephew.The state party chief recently announced the first list of candidates, which included the name of Amanmani Tripathi, an accused in the murder of his wife and son of mafia don- turned-politician Amarmani Tripathi, in jail for his alleged involvement in the murder of poetess Madhumita Shukla, without even consulting Akhilesh. The sabre rattling in the Samajwadi Party’s first family began when Akhilesh thwarted a merger of gangster-turned- politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) with the state’s ruling party despite an announcement made in this regard by Shivpal, who had shepherded the move.Shivpal then threatened to quit from SP citing alleged lawlessness and rise in land grab cases in the state. After this, Mulayam had attacked Akhilesh and said ministers in his government were corrupt and a burden on the state.The bitterness deepened over time and, in a surprise action, Mulayam removed Akhilesh as SP’s Uttar Pradesh unit chief last month and replaced him with Shivpal. An angry Akhilesh, in swift retaliatory action, divested Shivpal of all important portfolios, only to return them after a Mulayam-brokered truce. Before the truce was declared, Shivpal resigned from the government and all party posts.Supporters of Akhilesh and Shivpal held demonstrations to show there strength, compelling Mulayam to intervene and declare an end to hostilities between his brother and son. But that did not put an end to the turf war within the SP’s first family as Shivpal sacked several youth leaders considered close to the Chief Minister, including some MLCs.In another setback to Akhilesh, Shivpal went on to declare that the merger with Ansari’s QED stood despite earlier having been declared null and void. Akhilesh, who has a clean image, sacked two important ministers–Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and Rajkishore Singh– facing graft charges. Both were considered close to Mulayam and Prajapati has since been reinducted into the government.The turf war has deeply divided the family, with Mulayam appearing to back Shivpal and his cousin and influential SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav plumping for Akhilesh. Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member and SP ideologue, has even written to Mulayam seeking his intervention to take the youth leaders back into the party fold and ensure Akhilesh has a decisive say in ticket distribution.
Yadav vs Yadav: Akhilesh rath yatra from November 3, might skip SP silver jubilee
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> The infighting in the Samajwadi Party shows no signs of abating with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announcing his decision to embark on ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra’ alone from November 3.The announcement gave rise to speculation that Akhilesh might skip his party’s silver jubilee celebrations which begins here on November 5. Party insiders said any attempt to derail or stop him from going ahead with the Yatra could lead to another crisis in the party. In a letter written to party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Chief Minister said all political parties have started their campaigns for the Assembly polls.”I had decided to take out the yatra from October 3 but it was cancelled due to some reasons. I will take out the ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra’ from November 3,” he said. Akhilesh has also sent copies of the letter to state party chief Shivpal Yadav and National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. He said yatra’s detailed programme will be communicated to district presidents and party workers in due course.The announcement gave rise to speculation that Akhilesh might skip the sliver jubilee celebrations to send a message that he was unhappy over the expulsion of youth leaders from the party, who would not be present at the event. Earlier in the day, Akhilesh, Shivpal Yadav, and Mulayam held a closed-door meeting at party supremo’s 5 Vikramaditya Marg residence to discuss poll strategy. According to party sources, Akhilesh is adamant on his demands of revoking the expulsion of youth leaders, some of whom are MLCs, and having his say in the ticket distribution.Akhilesh had earlier announced his decision to take out the yatra from October 3 through his twitter handle with a picture in which he was seen sitting inside a bus. It was seen as a move to counter uncle Shivpal, who had been appointed the new state party president in his place. Akhilesh hit back over his removal from the party post by stripping Shivpal of his key ministerial portfolios, bringing the family feud in the open.Through the yatra, Akhilesh is expected to highlight his government’s development works, rally support for the party and demonstrate support for him among the party cadres. Party sources said Mulayam Singh Yadav has so far managed to pull back the party from the brink every time it faces any threat. This time too he has to move swiftly to take care of the concerns of the CM and his supporters, they pointed out.The infighting seems to continuing as of now with Mulayam siding with Shivpal; and his cousin Ram Gopal throwing his weight behind the the Chief Minister. The feud emanated from Shivpal’s attempt to undercut the authority of the Chief Minister and his supporters by denying him a say in the distribution of tickets, and the SP chief’s initial reluctance to name Akhilesh as the party’s presumptive chief ministerial candidate.Trouble in the party has been brewing since Mulayam replaced Akhilesh with Shivpal as the state party chief. Analysts say that since taking over the post, Shivpal has been systematically trying to undermine the authority of the CM, his supporters and Ram Gopal.One of his first acts as state party chief was sacking Ram Gopal’s nephew and party MLC Arvind Pratap Yadav, and a former village head in Etawah Akhilesh Kumar Yadav for their alleged involvement in land-grabbing and other such activities. Recently, Shivpal announced the first list of the party’s canidates for the assembly elections without even consulting either the Chief Minister or Ram Gopal.The SP chief further complicated matters by his reluctance to categorically back Akhilesh as the party’s CM candidate. The pro-chief minister camp fears that all this is a part of a systematic attempt to undermine him and deny him a say in the party. Ram Gopal, who has sided with the CM, shot off an angry letter to Mulayam, urging him to intervene and get Shivpal to take back the expelled leaders and to ensure that the CM had a decisive say in ticket distribution.After today’s meeting between the SP chief and Ram Gopal, there was no indication that the stand-off had been resolved. There was no word on either the question of cancelling the decision to sack Arvind Yadav and Akhilesh Kumar Yadav or on the all-important question of restoring the CM’s right to decide on ticket distribution. With Akhilesh set to begin UP poll campaign ahead of the Party’s silver jubilee celebrations, the rift in the party is again out in the open, especially at a time when efforts are reportedly underway for a patch-up between Mulayam-Shivpal and Akhilesh.Political observers feel that the ongoing power struggle in the ruling party might hamper the Yadav family in the 2017 UP polls. SP youth leaders including Sunil Singh Yadav, Anand Bhadouria, Arvind Pratap Singh Yadav, Sanjay Lathar, Brijesh Yadav, Mohd Abad and Gaurav Dubey, were expelled from the party by Shivpal last month for allegedly raising slogans and protesting outside the house of Mulayam.
Mulayam Singh Yadav gives a monumental reply to Mayawati
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>It is one more chapter in the battle royale between Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), but this one has been cast in stone – quite literally. Almost unnoticed and with remarkable little pre-publicity, the SP will on Tuesday unveil the multi-crore Museum of Socialism dedicated to the stated ideology of the party.That the museum, said to be the brainchild of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, is being inaugurated on Dussehra, the day of good vanquishing evil, is not lost on observers. Nor is the fact that the formidable brick red terracotta tiled structure has come up bang opposite the Ambedkar Memorial, built by Mulayam’s bête noire Mayawati.Clearly, both leaders are making every effort to outshine each other in this monumental game of one-upmanship in the capital of the politically powerful state, which goes to polls next year.During her first stint as chief minister, Mayawati started work on the Ambedkar Park in 1995. Five years later, when it was Mulayam’s turn to be at the helm, he made the Lohia Park after socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, a proverbial stone’s throw away from Ambedkar Park. In her next tenure in 2007, Mayawati demolished the Ambedkar Park and reconstructed it, calling it Ambedkar Memorial – housing the statues of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, BSP founder Kanshi Ram and herself.Mulayam had to come up with a solid counter. And the Museum of Socialism appeared to be it.Interestingly, to make sure that there is no ambiguity and the party’s loud message reaches far and wide, the name was changed from Jayaprakash Narayan Museum to the Museum of Socialism. “Socialism is an ideology followed worldwide and an ideology is bigger than a person, although the museum is based on the life of JP (as the late leader was known),” said an SP leader, justifying the change of name.Museum factsHowever, the Museum of Socialism continues to be part of the bigger project, an international centre named after JP. Coming up on 18 acres of land, the under-construction centre is the highest building in Lucknow and designed by a Noida-based architectural firm Archohm Consults Pvt Ltd.The difference between the Ambedkar Memorial and Museum of Socialism is in the statues, explained an SP leader. His party’s museum, he said, has statues of only JP, his wife Prabhavati Devi, Ram Manohar Lohia, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Mulayam and his son Akhilesh Yadav, state chief minister, can be seen inside only in their photos.“Putting statues of living beings is not in our culture,” he said. The museum is one of its kind in the country, he claimed. Amitabh Bachchan, Kabir Bedi, Om Puri and Jeetendra are amongst those who have lent their voices to the commentary.“Roughly 20 teams, comprising about 150 people, visited 20 places in India and 12 museums across the world before finalising its design,” disclosed Siddharth Bathla, the creative head of Design Factory India, the company that has conceptualised the interiors of the museum.Red terracotta tiles make up the façade. Once you enter through an arch (20m-wide and 9m-high), you can either go down to the basement; one part of which has a floating pavilion. Or, up through the red spiral staircase to the galleries featuring different exhibits. The space incorporates a reading room, a library, a museum and steps, which double up as seats in an amphitheatre.Truly memorialAmbedkar Udyan (park) spread over 107 acresWork started in 1995 when Mayawati was CM for the first timeIn 1997, it was renamed Ambedkar Memorial(Too much political upheaval during this period)Mayawati opens Ambedkar Memorial in 2003. She is still CMMulayam is CM from 2003-2007During this time, he builds Lohia Park In 2007, Maya again becomes CM and rebuilds Ambedkar Memorial. It opens in 2008
Surgical Strikes: Attack on terror launch pads conducted on Mulayam Yadav’s advice, SP hoarding claims
“Mulayam Singh’s opinion counts, he has been a former home minister and is considered as a senior person in the Indian politics,” said Shamsher Malik, the district president of Samajwadi Yugjan Sabha. <!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Samajwadi party on Sunday justified the posters crediting party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for the surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) and said that it was the former, who advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to target Pakistan.Shamsher Malik, the district president of Samajwadi Yugjan Sabha, said they are not playing any politics over the sacrifices and valour of the soldiers as the posters were displayed to congratulate the jawans and Mulayam Singh Yadav.”The poster credits Samajwadi Party supremo Mulyam Singh for the surgical strikes because Mulayam Singh did call Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to conduct the surgical strikes while stating that the Samajwadi Party is with them in this step,” said Malik.”Mulayam Singh’s opinion counts, he has been a former home minister and is considered as a senior person in the Indian politics,” he added.The Samajwadi Party put up hoardings in Muzaffarnagar claiming that Prime Minister Modi ordered the surgical strike only after consulting Mulayam Singh Yadav.In the hoardings put up at Novelty Chowk in the city, the pictures of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Malik can be seen.
UP elections 2017: BJP alleges ‘pretty wrapping’ like Priyanka Gandhi can’t hide ‘bad product’ Congress
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged that the “bad product” Congress would gain nothing in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls despite desperate efforts to win the trust of the voters.”After Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Khaat Yatra’, the Congress is bringing Priyanka Gandhi in front of everyone thinking that this move would be helpful but this is not going to help them anyhow. The Congress is a bad product no matter how beautifully they wrap themselves from outside nothing is going to happen,” BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said.He further said the people of Uttar Pradesh have rejected the Congress and have now decided to vote for the BJP for the state’s development. The Congress, which is making all efforts to win the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, announced Priyanka Gandhi’s election campaign on Saturday.This move came days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi held 26-day long “Kisan Yatra” in Uttar Pradesh to woo the voters ahead of the assembly polls scheduled next year. Priyanka will begin her campaign with an event in Allahabad on November 19 on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.Commenting on the merger of Samajwadi Party with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Quami Ekta Dal (QED), Singh said that this exposed the true face of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party, which has only one agenda of conquering the throne of Lucknow yet again.”The drama, which was going on in the Samajwadi Party, has now been revealed in front of everyone. It is clear that they are taking criminals and mafias in their party to win the upcoming elections and they don’t want any development of the state and have nothing to offer,” Singh added.Earlier this week, SP leader Shivpal announced the merger of Mukhtar Ansari’s QED merger with his party. This came barely three months after Akhilesh Yadav raised objection that he did not want people like Ansari in his party.Shivpal, who announced the merger at a press conference in Lucknow, said he had the blessings of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ansari, an MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district, is presently in jail in connection with a murder case.The Samajwadi Party hopes that the merger will help it tap the Muslim vote bank in eastern Uttar Pradesh, especially in Ghazipur, Mau and Varanasi ahead of the next year’s assembly elections.
SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Quami Ekta Dal president Afzal Ansari announce joint rally
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Two days after the formal declaration of Quami Ekta Dal’s merger with Samajwadi Party, its president Afzal Ansari on Saturday met Mulayam Singh Yadav and announced a major rally with the SP chief in Ghazipur next month.”A meeting was held with the SP chief Mulayam Singhji in a very cordial atmosphere and a decision has been taken to hold a rally in Mohamadabad area of Ghazipur in November,” said Afzal, the elder brother of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.”The date of the rally will be decided after Diwali”, Afzal said.Asked how many QED members would contest the coming Assembly elections, he said since his party had now merged with the Samajwadi Party, any decision in this regard would be taken by the SP leadership. He said his brother would contest elections from the Mau seat for the SP.”We have already started working as Samajwadi Party workers,” Afzal said.On Thursday, the Samajwadi Party’s state unit president Shivpal Singh Yadav had cleared the air over the merger with the QED. “QED has already merged with SP. Netaji (Mulayam) has already made a statement in this regard in the media. His decision in final,” Shivpal had said.The SP-QED merger was announced in June in the presence of Yadav but as Akhilesh, who was the party’s state president then, was reportedly against the move, it was called off by the party’s state parliamentary board a few days later. Speculation is rife that the formal announcement of the merger again by Shivpal might create fresh problems within Yadav family, as Akhilesh is said to be against it.
No more ‘janata darshan’ in future: Akhilesh Yadav
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday announced there will be no ‘Janata darshan’, a platform where he used to hear grievances of people, in future.”There will be no Janta Darshan from today onwards,” the chief minister’s office announced through its Twitter handle. Though no reasons have been cited, sources said the decision has been taken in view of approaching assembly elections and possible engagements of the chief minister in political events. Janata Darshan (meet-the-people) was started when party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav became the chief minister of the state for the first time.During the programme, the CM met the people, heard their grievances and directed officials concerned to take action. The practice was, however, discontinued when BSP was in power and Mayawati was the chief minister.The doors of the UP chief minister’s residence, 5, Kalidas Marg, were again opened on April 18, 2012 to let in people who visited the state capital for redress of their problems.It was a radical departure from the five-year stint of Mayawati in 2007-2012 when there was no direct interaction of the CM with the people. Akhilesh Yadav, who had promised a more responsive chief minister’s office, had deviated from Mayawati’s tradition and opened the door of his residence for people.