Akhilesh meets UP Governor Ram Naik amid Samajwadi Party power tussle

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with his uncle Shivpal Yadav - a powerful figure in the ruling Samajwadi Party - these days, rushed to Raj Bhawan on Wednesday to meet the state's Governor triggering intense speculations that all is still not well within the ruling party.

His sudden meeting with Governor Ram Naik also gains significance in light of claims being made by the Opposition parties that his government has now come in minority with several party MLAs deserting him, in a show of support to Shivpal.

According to ANI, the young chief minister is said to have briefed the UP Governor about the present situation and the reported feud within his family.

The meeting between Akhilesh and UP Governor lasted for about 35 minutes.

ANI later reported that UP CM's meeting with Governor Ram Naik was a courtesy call as the latter is due to leave for Mumbai shortly.

In view of the ongoing power tussle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, the opposition parties have urged the Governor to ask the young chief minister to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Akhilesh has reportedly accused his uncle Shivpal and party general secretary Amar Singh of hatching a conspiracy to oust him from the chief minister's job - a charge categorically denied by the two.

The ongoing bitter feud in the family has brought SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been trying hard to keep his flock together, on his toes.

Interestingly, all top leaders of the party have on-camera denied any rift in the family and the party and claimed that ''all is well''.

With the power tussle within the Samajwadi Party degenerating into a full-scale conflict, party veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday tried to broker peace within the warring factions  - his son Akhilesh and brother Shivpal – while ruling out any feud within the party and his family.

Addressing a press conference in the state capital Lucknow, with his brother Shivpal Yadav seated next to him, the SP patriarch said, ''All my life I have worked for the welfare of the party and fought for equality.''

My party is united, my family is united, there is no feud whatsoever. We are together as ever, he said. Interestingly, Mulayam's son and UP Chief Minister was not present during the press briefing.  

The SP chief also refused to answer several key questions regarding a much-talked about 'compromise formula' to iron out differences between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle  Shivpal.

Yes, its true that the majority was in my name in 2012, we still made Akhilesh CM. Now it's up to him to carry out his responsibilities, he said.

I have left the decision to reinstate Shivpal and four others back in the government to Akhilesh, who is and will remain the chief minister of the state.

The SP veteran also categorically said that his brother Shivpal Yadav had neither requested him to reinstate back into the government nor the three sacked ministers or expelling any leader from key position in the organisation.

I leave all this to Akhilesh, he added.

To a question whether Akhilesh will be Samajwadi Party's Chief Ministerial candidate in 2017 assembly polls, he refused to give a direct reply.

This will be decided by our party legislatures if we win in 2017 polls since we are a democratic party, he said.

The SP patriarch also categorically said that Amar Singh will not be sacked or expelled from the party as he has been with him in the difficult times.

Why bring Amar Singh into everything, Mulayam Singh asked.

To a question relating to his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, who has backed Akhilesh, Mulayam said, “I don't pay much heed to what he says.''

However, there are still several unanswered questions as to who control the reins of the party, who is more important in the party – Akhilesh or Shivpal – and what is the future of Mulayam's brother Ram Gopal Yadav, who has been expelled from the party.