Mulayam, Shivpal, Amar Singh meet EC to stake claim on Samajwadi Party symbol 'cycle'

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his close confidantes, Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh approached Election Commission on Monday to stake claim over party election symbol 'cycle'.

On January 1, the Akhilesh faction had dislodged Mulayam as the party president and designated the former Defence Minister as a "marg darshak" (mentor).

Since then, both factions of the Samajwadi Party have approached the Election Commission to claim the election symbol "cycle" ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Eralier, Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who is mentoring the Akhilesh Yadav camp, has sent sworn affidavits of some 5,761 Samajwadi Party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, to the Election Commission.

An embattled SP patriarch Mulayam on Sunday asserted he continued to be the party's president and questioned the legality of the convention called by son Akhilesh Yadav camp which declared the UP CM as the new party chief.

Mulayam's remarks came a day before he visits Election Commission where he is set to question the authenticity of documents submitted by Akhilesh Yadav faction yesterday claiming support of a majority of MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party delegates.