UP: Akhilesh challenges father with own list of poll picks

New Delhi: Humiliated, marginalised and left with no option, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav rose in rebellion against his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and announced his own list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh late Thursday night.

Even as he released his list of 235 candidates, of whom 64 are new faces, speculation ran rife that Akhilesh had got in touch with the Congress and the RLD and that talks about a possible alliance between the three have been initiated.

On Wednesday, while he was touring Bundelkhand, Mulayam Singh Yadav flanked by his brother and state unit chief Shivpal Yadav, announced a list of 325 candidates in which a majority of Akhilesh’s candidates did not find a mention. In a clear snub to his son, all those sacked by Akhilesh from his Cabinet and candidates with criminal records he was opposed to were given party tickets.

The chief minister has asked all his loyalists who have not been given tickets to contest on their own or under different, available symbols. Their posters will clearly say “Akhilesh samarthak” (Akhilesh supporter). These candidates will use Akhilesh’s photographs in their campaign and the chief minister is likely to campaign for them. Akhilesh is expected to release a second list soon.

Besides being on the verge of a split, SP will also face internal sabotage during the polls. Akhilesh’s rebellion is expected to antagonise Mulayam Singh and there were murmurs in Delhi and Lucknow that the SP patriarch could be “forced” to take action against his son.

Late Wednesday night, striking back, the chief minister had sacked two Shivpal loyalists — Surabhi Shukla, vice-chairperson of UP Awas Vikas Parishad and her husband Sandeep Shukla from the post of adviser to Rajkiya Nirman Nigam. Sandeep had been fielded for the Sultanpur Sadar seat by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Thursday morning, Akhilesh met his loyalists at his residence, 5, Kalidas Marg, Lucknow, including the ministers who were denied tickets. Among them were Pawan Pandey, Ramgovind Chaudhary and Arvind Singh Gope.

“The list does not include names of certain candidates who are sure to win. I will take it up with the SP chief and tell him that some of them have done really good work and they should be given ticket,” Akhilesh had told his loyalists then. After this he met his father to discuss ticket distribution. It seems talks between the two failed.

Samajwadi Party MLA Indal Singh, speaking to the media in Lucknow said, “We are blessed to be Akhileshwadi. Mulayam is our role model, he is our leader but today people of Uttar Pradesh need Akhilesh. And there have been some conspiracies against him.”

Ramgopal Yadav, Akhilesh’s uncle and member of the anti-Shivpal camp, also spoke of a “conspiracy by a group of people who don’t want Akhilesh to return as chief minister.”

Another MLA Brijlal Sonkar said, “The chief minister has asked us to campaign in our respective constituencies... We all are Samajwadis not opportunist... We don’t want ticket but we want party to win and want to make Akhilesh the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and in 2019. We will take Akhilesh Yadav to Delhi as Prime Minister of our county.”