Akhilesh re-elected as Samajwadi Party chief for five years

Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav has been re-elected as its Samajwadi Party's national president for the next five years. The decision was taken during the party's national executive meet on Wednesday, said senior party Ram Gopal Yadav.

Now, SP will fight both Lok Sabha 2019 polls and state Assembly elections 2022 under Akhilesh's leadership.

The 44-year-old leader also said his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav had blessed and congratulated him during a phone conversation on Wednesday.

The party's constitution was amended to extend the tenure of the party chief to five years from the existing three years.

Addressing a press conference a day ahead of his party's two-day national convention, the former UP chief minister was asked about reports that his uncle had called him up.

"I got the benefit of my age and our relation. He (Shivpal) gave me blessings and congratulated me also," he said.

Akhilesh, who is involved in a feud with Shivpal, had recently hinted that there's no likelihood of reconciliation with his warring uncle when he cautioned partymen to beware of "fake samajwadis".

In June, Shivpal had said that he would float the Samajwadi Secular Front "to fight communal forces".

In a series of tit-for-tat actions, Mulayam had last month replaced Akhilesh-loyalist Ram Gopal with Shivpal Yadav as the secretary of the Lohia Trust.

With PTI Inputs