Lucknow, Oct 23 (PTI): Sacked UP minister Shivpal Yadav today said his removal from the Akhilesh ministry was an attempt by some people to weaken the Samajwadi Party and that he was not worried about being dropped, asserting that the upcoming Assembly polls would be fought under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Hours after he was shown the door, Shivpal spoke to mediapersons after emerging from a meeting with SP chief Mulayam and said his sacking was an attempt by some to weaken the party leadership.
In the ongoing power tussle within the ruling party, Shivpal and three other pro-Amar Singh ministers were sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav this morning.
Launching a scathing attack on cousin Ramgopal Yadav, Shivpal, who is the SP's state chief, vowed to fight and win the election under Netaji (Mulayam).
Asking partymen to prepare for the polls, he claimed that the people of the state were with the Samajwadi Party and "in 2017 we will form the government under the leadership of Netaji".
In a veiled attack against Ramgopal, he said today's developments were triggered by "someone" who was playing in the hands of BJP to escape CBI noose.
His reference was towards Ramgopal, who is facing a CBI probe for his alleged involvement in the corruption case of former Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh.
Ramgopal has been sacked from the party for six years.
Shivpal also said that Akhilesh Yadav must learn to identify "well-wishers".
This dramatic developments occurred in ruling Samajwadi Party after UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today took the extreme step of sacking Shivpal Singh Yadav from his Cabinet.
Earlier today, party sources said "The CM has sacked Shivpal Yadav from his Cabinet. Some more pro-Amar Singh ministers are likely to be dropped".
The development comes a day ahead of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav convening a meeting of SP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers.
The party sources said that four more ministers and some persons enjoying the rank of minister of state, who are from the Amar Singh camp, are also likely to be sacked.
The SP chief had yesterday expelled MLC Udayveer Singh, one of the closest aides of Akhilesh, from the party for "undignified" conduct days after he wrote to Mulayam suggesting to him to elevate the UP CM as the party's national president.
The decision to expel Udayveer was taken after the inaugural meeting of the executive committee of SP's Uttar Pradesh unit adopted a resolution seeking action against him for his "derogatory" comments against Mulayam.
"Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and indisciplined behaviour," state party spokesman Ambika Chaudhary had said.
"The party will not tolerate undignified behaviour and indiscipline. It has reached where it is in 25 years because of discipline," Chaudhary had said.
In the four-page letter to the party supremo earlier this week, Udayveer had said, "SP state president Shivpal Yadav and other members of his family have misled you (Mulayam) and hatched a conspiracy against CM Akhilesh, who should be made party national president and given all the powers."
Udayveer, whose association with Akhilesh is over three decades old, with both studying in school together, had reportedly also made some comments about Mulayam's second wife and Chief Minister's step mother, which angered the SP's first family.
Reacting to the development, Udayveer had said he had only put before Mulayam his thoughts about the "conspiracy" against the Chief Minister.
Gaurav Bhatia, SP spokesman, had said Singh had crossed the "Lakshman rekha" in choosing the words he wrote in his letter to Mulayam which also hurt party workers.
"Questioning the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is an elected president of the party, was wrong. An MLC cannot dictate who the party president will be. Anybody committing an act of indiscipline has to be punished and this is what has happened," he had said.