Lucknow, Dec 30 (DHNS) : Weeks before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) appeared to be heading for a split as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav virtually rejected the list of nominees released by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and came out a parallel list.
According to sources close to Akhilesh, the list prepared by the chief minister included the names of candidates who were denied nomination by party supremo Mulayam in his list of 325 candidates released on Wednesday.
Akhilesh, sources said, has asked his supporters whose names did not figure in Mulayam’s list, to be ready to contest the polls against the official nominees.Sources said the chief minister’s list contained candidates for 235 seats.
“Akhilesh may release another list in a day or two,” said a leader close to the chief minister.
Akhilesh took the decision to “revolt” against the leadership after holding deliberations with his supporters at his residence earlier in the day. “The chief minister has given us the go ahead to contest the polls,” said minister Tej Narain Pandey who was denied nomination by Mulayam.
Akhilesh’s supporters urged him to “reject” the list of nominees declared by his father. Akhilesh, Mulayam and the party’s state unit president Shivpal Singh Yadav held a closed-door meeting here to iron out differences over candidate selection.
Although there was no official communique from the party, sources said Mulayam has agreed to give party ticket to three ministers — Arvind Singh Gope, Ram Govind Chaudhary and Pawan Pandey — all Akhilesh supporters.
Hundreds of supporters of Akhilesh gathered near his official residence and shouted slogans against Shivpal who, they alleged, was behind denial of nominations to the leaders close to the chief minister.
SP sources said Akhilesh conveyed his displeasure on selection of nominees to his father during the meeting. He was particularly sore at denial of nominations to his supporters and giving tickets to tainted leaders like Ateeq Ahmed and Sigbatullah Ansari.
Sources said the parallel list could also be a ploy to “pressurise” Mulayam to “include” Akhilesh’s supporters in his list. Akhilesh had handed over a list of 403 nominees to Mulayam a few days ago. The party has so far declared 325 candidates.