Mulayam meets EC officials to stake claim to SP symbol

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday visited the Election Commission (EC) office in New Delhi, to stake claim to party's poll symbol 'cycle', and also urge them to check the authenticity and legality of papers submitted by Ramgopal Yadav on the same.

Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav also visited the EC office along with Mulayam.

The Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav camp represented by Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday submitted an affidavit mentioning the Samajwadi Party leaders supporting the former's faction in a bid to buttress its claim over the Samajwadi Party's 'cycle' symbol ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Ramgopal said that the relevant documents, brought in "seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages", were submitted to the poll panel to assert Akhilesh's right over the party name and symbol.

He said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh.

The Election Commission had given both sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support.

However, if the Election Commission cannot reach any decision before January 17, then the party symbol might also be frozen and two different symbols would be provide to the parties for contesting the assembly elections.

The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases between 11 February and 8 March.

On Sunday, Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted that he was still the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, while Akhilesh Yadav would remain the UP Chief Minister. He also questioned the legality of the convention called by son Akhilesh Yadav camp which declared the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister the new party chief.

"I am the national president of Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is (only) the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Shivpal Yadav is still the president of Samajwadi Party's Uttar Pradesh unit," Mulayam, who is locked in a bitter feud with Akhilesh-Ramgopal camp for control over the party, told reporters. He added that since Ramgopal was expelled from the party on December 30, the convention held by him was illegal.

Also on Sunday, scores of Samajwadi Party workers performed a yagna at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, praying for an end to the tug of war between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal with barely weeks left for the crucial Assembly Polls in Uttar Pradesh.

The yagna was performed to "cool down" the heated infighting and to make Akhilesh Chief Mminister again, the workers said.

The party men also prayed for the "long life" of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Prayers were offered for keeping away "conspirators" and rival parties and "to foil their conspiracy" of breaking the party.