Mulayam Singh Expels Akhilesh, Ramgopal Yadav From Samajwadi Party For 6 Years

The battle within the Samajwadi Party has only escalated, with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelling his son and the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, from the party for six years. The general secretary of the party, Ramgopal Yadav, has also be expelled for the same period.

Mulayam has also accused Ramgopal of ending Akhilesh Yadav's political career, according to wire agency PTI.

He has cancelled the party meeting called by Ramgopal on Monday, saying only the party chief has the right to call such a meeting.

The expulsion was to “save the party”, Mulayam added.

The party chief had issued a showcause notice to Akhilesh Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav just a few hours before expelling them from the party.

Akhilesh had defied his father and uncle Shivpal Yadav, by coming out with his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming U.P. elections, scheduled to be held in April 2017. The U.P. chief minister had made his displeasure clear, when the party's list of candidates had a number of names proposed by Shivpal Yadav, and ignored some of the leaders who are considered to be in his camp.

It must be noted that of the 235 names declared by Akhilesh, 187 were already mentioned in the Samajwadi party's candidature list.

Akhilesh Yadav, supported by Ramgopal Yadav, has been embroiled in a long running political power feud with his father Mulayam Singh and uncle Shivpal Yadav.

Ramgopal was previously expelled from the party for six years on October 23 by Shivpal Yadav, who even then, had the backing of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ramgopal was reinstated on November 17.

The Samajwadi Party chief has now called a meeting of all candidates named in the official list on December 31, to emphasise on where the real power lies in the party.