Akhilesh Yadav may step down as Uttar Pradesh CM after being expelled from Samajwadi Party

Lucknow: With Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling Akhilesh Yadav from the party, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister is set to tender his resignation, reports said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference with Shivpal Yadav on his side, Mulayam expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav for "indulging in anti-party activities" for six years from SP.

Mulayam said the decision was taken as party comes first.

“For us the party is the most important and our priority is to save the party,” Mulayam Singh said.

"How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates? Both Akhilesh and Ramgopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam said.

"I had made Akhilesh the Chief Minister with much fanfare," he added.

Asked who would be the new Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh said: "We will decide that."

He was speaking to reporters after Ram Gopal Yadav called a national convention of the Samajwadi Party on January 1 following a rift over a list of candidates to fight assembly polls due next year.

Mulayam Singh said "no one has the right to call national executive meeting" other than the party chief.

He also accused Ram Gopal of damaging the future prospects of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.