'Expelled' by father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh calls all Samajwadi Party MLAs meet

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav along with party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav has been expelled from Samajwadi Party for 'ruining the party'.

Lucknow: With barely four days left for Election Commission to announce the dates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the crisis in ruling Samajwadi Party took a turn for worse on Friday. 

After months of turmoil and uneasy truces, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his cousin and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the Samajwadi Party for 'weakening the party' he founded in 1992. 

"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has also been removed from the party for six years. We want to save the party. My intention is not to punish anyone but a lot of effort... went into the making of this party and we must save it," Mulayam said with his brother Shivpal besides him. 

While making the 'shocking' announcement, Mulayam indicated that "he would soon substitute Akhilesh with someone else" and accused cousin Ram Gopal of ruining his son's political career.

As per latest update, CM Akhilesh has called for a meeting with all party MLAs at 9 am today. 

The chief minister has asked all Samajwadi Party lawmakers to meet him at his 5 Kalidas Marg residence here. Many of them will also be required attend a meeting called by Mulayam at his Lucknow residence of all candidates named by him for the UP elections earlier this week. 

It is believed that the meeting will be seen as who among the father-son duo has more support in the party.

After the announcement, at least 100 Samajwadi Party MLAs reached CM's residence in Lucknow to chalk out future strategy.

Meanwhile, party spokesperson Juhi Singh tendered her resignation from her post late Friday. 

Minutes after the expulsion, hundreds of supporters gathered outside CM's 5, Kalidas Marg residence here to show their support to him. The supporters held protests and raised slogans against Shivpal Yadav accusing him of doing 'injustice'. The protesters tore down Shivpal's posters as they waved banners and posters with pictures of Akhilesh.

#WATCH Supporters gather outside Akhilesh Yadav's residence, raise slogans in his support after SP Chief expelled him for 6 years from party pic.twitter.com/x5OFePsLVD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

According to a PTI report, a Samajwadi Party supporter tried to self-immolation outside CM Akhilesh’s residence against Mulayam's decision to expel his son for six-year from the party.

Lucknow-Supporters gather outside Akhilesh Yadav's residence, raise slogans in his support after SP Chief expelled UP CM for 6 yrs frm party pic.twitter.com/Ulj0RwnYPb — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

Meanwhile, a high alert has been sounded across Uttar Pradesh after the ongoing war in the ruling SP turned for worse on Friday. Officials said that instructions have been sent to all District Magistrates and police chiefs following protests by Akhilesh supporters. Security meanwhile has been beefed up outside the SP headquarters in the state capital, the Chief Minister's residence, and the house of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The development came after CM Akhilesh directed state DGP to ensure adequate security is deployed outside Mulayam and Shivpal Yadav's residence. Ahmed had arrived at Akhilesh's residence last evening to meet him. 

Lucknow: UP DGP Javeed Ahmed reaches CM Akhilesh Yadav's residence to meet him. pic.twitter.com/XEqlOiSdDq — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

Yesterday, Shivpal released a letter of warning to party workers asking them to not participate in the programme called by Ram Gopal from now onwards.

"The programme is totally against the constitution of the party and in violation of party discipline. It has been called with the intention of harming the party," Shivpal said while issuing a warning that 'strict action' will be taken against anyone attending the meet or offering support to it.

Sources say that at least 80 percent of the Samajwadi party's 224 lawmakers in the UP assembly support Akhilesh Yadav and are likely to turn up for the meet.

Soon after he was sacked from the party, Ram Gopal had appealed to party members to attend an emergency national convention on January 1 at the Ram Manohar Lohia University here to chalk out a path for future. 

Want to urge party workers to come to RM Lohiya University on Jan 1 at 11am to discuss as to how to stop those doing wrong in party-RG Yadav pic.twitter.com/kdfzVdRvzO — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 30, 2016

He claimed he had received representations from thousands of party members. 

Yesterday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called Akhilesh and extended her support the expulsion announcement made by the SP patriarch. As per the report, Mamata reportedly asked him to maintain his calm. 

Reacting to the overall development, Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik said that "he is keeping a close watch on the situation" and described Akhilesh's expulsion as "party's internal matter". 

Uttar Pradesh, with a population of more than 200 million, is viewed as a critical political player as the state sends the biggest single bloc of lawmakers to the 545-seat national parliament in New Delhi.

Wrestler-turned-politician Mulayam served three terms as the state`s chief minister.

In 2012, Akhilesh became the youngest ever chief minister thanks to his soaring popularity with younger voters, who elected him on promises of more jobs and a greater share in India`s economic growth. 

Family relations have soured in the run-up to the state elections, which are likely in February, with rival members vying for greater control of the party, resulting in several tit-for-tat sackings by Akhilesh and Shivpal of each others` supporters since August.

Mulayam has sided with his brother Shivpal, often humiliating and snubbing his own son in public.

But the move to expel Akhilesh has triggered a wave of support for the chief minister with television images showing scores of people standing outside his residence with posters and shouting slogans against Shivpal. 

Akhilesh, whose political future is unclear, has called for an emergency meeting early Saturday.

Political observers have predicted Akhilesh may split from his father`s party to form his own camp.