Till I am around, no divide in the party, says Mulayam

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday tried to make light of the ongoing battle of supremacy in the party between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav and said that till he was around there was no way the party would get divided.

Addressing workers here at the state headquarters after separate meetings with both the warring leaders, Mulayam also said for him the SP was not just a political entity but a family.

Pointing out that workers and supporters of the party were worried about the unfolding events within the party, Mulayam said that Akhilesh would go and meet his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. The Yadav chieftain also ruled out any major differences between Shivpal, Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav.

As party workers raised slogans in favour of Shivpal Singh yadav, the SP chief shouted them down and said they should remain quiet as he was speaking. He also dropped a bombshell later when he reversed the decision of his Chief Minister son and announced that former Mines Minister Gayatri Prajapati will be reinstated in the government. Prajapati was sacked on Monday based on serious charges of patronising illegal mining and minting ill-gotten money.

This move is likely to dent the authority of Akhilesh Yadav further.

Mulayam's silence on return of Shivpal Yadav to the state cabinet is however being interpreted in political circles with many views.

Sources told IANS that a solution has been thrashed out wherein all portfolios held by Shivpal prior to Tuesday would be given back to him and he will also remain the state party president.