Amidst the ongoing feud in Uttar Pradesh's ruling party, the convention called by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav here on January 5 was postponed. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Monday headed to New Delhi after cancelling the party convention scheduled for January 5. The party supremo will approach the Election Commission of India here on the party's poll symbol.
The party founder would be accompanied by younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who returned mid-way from his New Year family vacation in London.
The two factions -- one headed by Mulayam and other by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav -- will approach the ECI to stake claim to the party's 'cycle' symbol.
Jan 5 convention postponed
In a series of tweets, SP leader Shivpal Yadav said that on the orders of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the convention called on January 5 has been postponed for now.
While Shivpal gave no reasons for the abrupt cancellation of the meeting, insiders said perhaps the Mulayam camp was apprehensive of a poor turnout compared to the massive gathering at the "convention" held by Ram Gopal Yadav on January 1.
The convention was declared illegal and unconstitutional by Mulayam.
Shivpal in another tweet asked party workers to concentrate on their respective constituencies and work hard to win the elections.
Mulayam-Akhilesh take fight over 'cycle' to EC
The two factions of Samajwadi Party are set to approach the Election Commission of India Monday to stake claim on the party symbol 'cycle'.
The Samajwadi Party yesterday split down the middle with the faction headed by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav removing Mulayam as party chief and appointing him in his place at a convention in which the group claimed support of the majority of legislators and district units.
The two sides had engaged in mutual recriminatory expulsions with the convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav removing Akhilesh's warring uncle Shivpal Yadav as state party chief, and showing the door to "outsider" Amar Singh, who has been blamed for the feud in the Yadav clan.
Mulayam had retorted by again expelling his cousin Ram Gopal for six years along with national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda, who chaired the convention, and general secretary Naresh Agarwal for taking part in it.
