Samajwadi Party feud: Why Mulayam Singh Yadav called and then cancelled national convention?

Lucknow: In a major development in the ongoing Samajwadi Party feud, Mulayam Singh Yadav has reportedly postponed the national convention of party called by him on 5th January.

The development was confirmed by Shivpal Yadav in a series of tweets.

नेताजी के आदेशानुसार समाजवादी पार्टी का 5 जनवरी का अधिवेशन फिलहाल स्थगित किया जाता है। सभी नेता और कार्यकर्ता (1/2) — Shivpal Singh Yadav (@shivpalsinghyad) January 2, 2017

... अपने-अपने क्षेत्र मेँ चुनाव की तैयारियोँ मेँ जुटे और जीत हासिल करने के लिए जी-जान से मेहनत करेँ। (2/2) — Shivpal Singh Yadav (@shivpalsinghyad) January 2, 2017

Why Mulayam had called convention?

Earlier, on Sunday, yhe ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh split down the middle with the faction headed by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav removing Mulayam Singh Yadav as party chief and appointing him in his place at a convention in which the group claimed support of the majority of legislators and district units.

43-year-old Akhilesh was "unanimously" crowned the SP president as Ram Gopal moved a proposal to make Mulayam, the founder president of SP, the party patron at the convention, where the CM's faction claimed that over 200 of the party's 229 MLAs, around 30 MLCs, besides majority of office bearers of district units were present.

The convention also authorised Akhilesh to constitute a national executive, parliamentary board and various state units, as required, and inform the Election Commission of the developments at the earliest.

The proposal to make Akhilesh SP chief was welcomed by a huge applause by nearly 5,000 partymen who had gathered at the sprawling Janeshwar Misra Park here.

Mulayam termed as illegal all decisions taken at the convention. In a hard-hitting letter, he said the convention had not been called with permission of the national president and so all decision taken there were invalid.

In a counter move, he also convened a national convention of the party on January 5 at the same venue here.

Although Mulayam warned that participation in the convention will be taken as indiscipline and action will be initiated against those attending it, almost all senior leaders who had been longtime associates of Mulayam shared the dais with Ram Gopal and Akhilesh.

Also, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Monday is expected to approach the Election Commission today to stake claim for the party`s `cycle` symbol.

Sources said the new president has to approach the Election Commission according to the party`s convention to stake claim as the real Samajwadi Party. As per the party`s constitution, the president of the party allots symbols for an election.