Decision to anoint Akhilesh SP chief, sack Amar Singh, Shivpal illegal: Mulayam

Lucknow: Upstaging Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was on Sunday anointed the SP president in place of his father at a party national convention in Lucknow that also proposed the expulsion of "outsider" Amar Singh and removal of Shivpal Yadav from the post of UP chief.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, termed as illegal all decisions taken at the national convention. He said that he would hold an SP convention on January 5.

He also expelled Ramgopal once again from the party for six years.

Minutes after Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier termed the convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav as "unconstitutional", the meeting unanimously decided to crown Akhilesh as head of the SP.

After a brief truce in the ruling Samajwadi Party on Saturday, the open war in the party was all out in the open with the national convention declaring Akhilesh Yadav as party president.

The proposal was met with a huge applause by party cadres gathered at the sprawling Janeshwar Misra Park amid chilly conditions.

Ram Gopal also moved a proposal to make Mulayam Singh, the founder president of the party, as party patron and removing Shivpal Singh Yadav from the state unit post.

Earlier this morning as soon as the national convention got underway at the Janeshwar Misra park, Mulayam Singh issued a letter declaring the convention as unconstitutional.

"Today a so-called convention has been convened by Ram Gopal. This is against party constitution and discipline. This has been convened to damage the party," Yadav said in the letter.

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

Soon after being proposed as the national president of the party, Akhilesh Yadav said his respect for his father was more than ever and that he would stand against those conspiring against the party.

"Those who conspired against the party, damaged it and also posed problems before the national president...should know that my respect for the national president (Mulayam Singh) will be more than before," the chief minister said.

"...People might raise questions and level allegations but I said this before and say it again that as his son if there is any conspiracy against the party and him it is my duty to stand against them", he said.

"I had said that I was ready to step down as state unit president earlier too ...he had made me the CM and gave me a chance to work..." he said.

The letter, which makes no mention of Akhilesh Yadav and is signed by Mulayam Singh, states that the candidates' list issued earlier for the 2017 Assembly polls has been endorsed and a decision on the remaining seats will be taken soon.

"Mulayam Singh has all along been struggling against communal forces and strengthening the Samajwadi Party but some people, in order to hide their wrongdoings, to save themselves from CBI and to help BJP, have been continuously insulting him," the letter said, noting that those very people conspired to convene today's convention.

This morning a convention called by Ram Gopal removed Mulayam Singh from the post of national president replacing him with Akhilesh Yadav and expelled Amar Singh from the party.