Shivpal is state SP chief, loses key portfolios as Yadavs feud

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav stripped his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav of key portfolios on Tuesday in signs of growing fissures within Uttar Pradesh’s ruling

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav stripped his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav of key portfolios on Tuesday in signs of growing fissures within Uttar Pradesh’s ruling family, just months ahead of crucial assembly elections in the state. Akhilesh’s move came within hours of his father and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh appointing Shivpal as the party’s state president replacing his chief minister-son.

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Earlier during the day, Akhilesh replaced the state’s top bureaucrat Deepak Singhal, known to be close to Shivpal. The churning in the party and bureaucracy set the grapevine on fire in the poll-bound state with unconfirmed reports suggesting that the sacked minister is mulling options of resigning from the government.

Shivpal has been given the relatively less important social welfare portfolio in place of the key PWD, irrigation, revenue and cooperative departments he held earlier. The CM kept PWD with him. Shivpal’s appointment as the state party chief was considered Mulayam’s way of striking a balance between his son and his brother ahead of the elections. The SP is expected to face a tough fight from the BJP and the resurgent BSP led by Mayawati.

The CM had earlier refused to merge a party floated by jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari with the SP, a proposal floated by Shivpal. Mulayam had recently ticked off Akhilesh for allegedly humiliating Shivpal. On Monday, Akhilesh had removed two ministers facing corruption charges, seen as an image-refurbishing exercise by the SP government ahead of the polls.