We should stand united, it is election season: Shivpal Yadav

Ramgopal Yadav said it was wrong for the party to have removed Akhilesh Yadav from the Uttar Pradesh chief’s post without consulting with him.

The Samajwadi Party was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday night after Akhilesh curtailed uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav’s powers, within hours of party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav taking away the party’s state presidentship from his chief minister-son and giving it to brother Shivpal.

File photo of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav (L) and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (2nd R) during 70th Independence Day celebrations at the party office in Lucknow. (PTI)

Shivpal rushed to Delhi and met Mulayam, a Lok Sabha MP, but left without speaking to waiting journalists. He said he accepted all decisions taken by Mulayam.

On Thursday, first Ramgopal Yadav, senior SP member and then Shivpal addressed media.

Here is what the two SP leaders said on the issue:

-- “I accept whatever decision netaji takes”: Shivpal on being asked if he is fine with Akhilesh being SP’s UP CM face for 2017 elections

-- We all have to remain united, it is election time and we have to form government again in 2017: Shivpal Yadav

-- In what circumstances he (CM) took this decision (of taking away ministries from Shivpal), we can’t raise a question mark over that: Shivpal Yadav

-- Decision of department allocation is of the CM. It is his right: Shivpal Yadav

-- Whoever is given responsibility, whatever it be… we have to follow that: Shivpal Yadav

-- “Rahul Gandhi kuch bhi kahe hume comment nahi karna, jinki khatiya uth gayi ho unpe hum kya kahe?” (Rahul Gandhi may say anything but we won’t comment.What can we say about someone whose cot has been taken away.)

-- “There are some people who take advantage of Netaji’s simplicity, and these people don’t have party’s well being in mind”: Ramgopal Yadav.

-- “They (Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Yadav) can have a meeting tomorrow or day after”: Ramgopal Yadav

Ramgopal Yadav also said it was wrong for the party to have removed Akhilesh Yadav from the Uttar Pradesh chief’s post without consulting with him.

“Had the party asked him (Akhilesh) to quit the post in view of the elections and focus on the chief ministerial job and that he (Shivpal) will take up the state president’s job, he would have resigned,” Ramgopal, who is the SP’s general secretary and a Rajya Sabha member, told reporters.

An open war broke out on Tuesday in the Samajwadi Party with Akhilesh Yadav stripping his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios, hours after his removal as the party’s state unit chief and appointment of the latter in his place.