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Family drama in UP: CM says 'political dispute' Shivpal says Akhilesh is executing his powers, i'm mine

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 14, Sep 2016, 14:44 pm IST | UPDATED: 14, Sep 2016, 15:35 pm IST

Family drama in UP: CM says 'political dispute' Shivpal says Akhilesh is executing his powers, i'm mine Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh it isn't all about loving your family - not in the state's politics at least - as the state's chief minister Akhilesh Yadav well knows by now.

Today, he scrambled to deny a rift in his family, and said his dispute with his uncle - from whom he took away key portfolios yesterday - is a political one.

He also hinted that someone from outside the family - speculation is that he's referring to Amar Singh who's back in the party fold - may be creating problems.

"Where have you found a family fight? This is a fight in government, not a family fight," the Samajwadi Party's (SP) Akhilesh told the media, a day after he took away the portfolios from his uncle Shivpal Yadav.

Akhilesh further said, "If people from outside the family keep interfering how will things (government) work".

Speculation is that he was hinting at the involvement of SP's Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and a bureaucrat named Deepak Singhal.

Meanwhile, a day after being stripped of key ministerial portfolios in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, new state president of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav Wednesday said that Chief Minister has the powers to decide who will stay in Cabinet.

Shivpal also said that no one has capacity to 'ignore' the decisions of the Mulayam. Shivpal Wednesday morning at his residence in Saifai, addressed at a gathering of supporters and addressed media.

In the around 45-minute public appearance, he did not speak name of Akhilesh Yadav and repeatedly said that party workers and public was with Neta ji (Mulayam).

When media persons asked about speculations of his resignation from Cabinet, Shivpal said that his next interaction on the ongoing issue will be with Mulayam and he will take any decision after due consultation with him only.

“The responsibility of organisation that Neta ji (Mulayam) has assigned to me, I will execute that properly. Public of Uttar Pradesh is with Neta ji and Samajwadi Party.

" Whatever decision Neta ji will take, I will be with him. I will look after works of the party organisation and will stay among the public,” Shivpal said, adding that Assembly elections were coming closer and public of UP was with SP and Mulayam.

When asked about removal of two ministers Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and Raj Kishor Singh from Cabinet, Shivpal said, “Yeh to Mukhya Mantri ka adhikar hota hai… kise mantrimandal me takhen, kis adhikari ko rakhen aur kissee salah len. (It is upto the chief minister to choose his ministers, officers and advisors) ”

About the speculations of in-fighting wihin the party organisation, Shivpal said, “All is well”. Shivpal said that now, as the state unit president, he will hold a meeting of all party cells and office bearers and will allocate them tasks.

“Those who had been ignored, but they can work in the organisation, will be given responsibilities,” Shivpal said.

When asked that whether some people were creating differences in the state government and the organisation, Shivpal said, “It is my responsibility and others too…. who can mislead us….

" who can mislead me…Decisions have to be taken by me, Neta ji and Chief Minister… Those who are holding the responsible positions, they have to take decisions and they should not get mislead.”

Shivpal said that all was well in the party organsiation, all the decisions will be taken after consulting with Mulayam and his directives will be followed.

Asked about speculations of bitter relation between him and Akhilesh, Shivpal said that he does feel like that. “He (Akhilesh) is executing his power and I am executing my powers.”

About his appointment as party state president, Shivpal said that Mulayam has given his responsibility after due deliberations.

About the series of developments occurred on Tuesday, Shivpal said that there was nothing new and such things happen in politics.

Shivpal also addressed a gathering of supporters in Saifai and said that he will stay in public and accept their decision. “Maintain good behaviour with people, public is with you,” Shivpal said.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday divested uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav of key ministerial portfolios after the latter replaced him as state party president on the instructions of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Before that, Akhilesh had removed IAS officer Deepak Singhal from the post of Chief Secretary. Singhal was considered close to Shivpal.

In the ongoing crisis within the ruling party as well as the government, Mulayam is staying his residence in Delhi and Shivpal has reportedly rushed to to meet him there. Akhilesh in Lucknow has canceled his public engagements scheduled for the day.

Roiling the family dynamic some more is Akhilesh's father, Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam, who, it seems, supports his brother Shivpal over his son and met with Amar Singh not long ago.

Mulayam on Tuesday named Shivpal - his favourite brother - head of the party's unit+ in Uttar Pradesh, hours after which Akhilesh stripped Shivpal of most of his portfolios. On Monday, Akhilesh had done the same with two close aides of Shivpal's.

Interestingly, Akhilesh and Shivpal disagreed on whom to appoint as the state's chief secretary after incumbent Alok Ranjan's term ended on June 30.

Deepak Singhal, who was earlier principal secretary at a department held by Shivpal, was named to the post, but Akhilesh shunted him out in a mere two months. Mulayam is said to have met Singhal too, after he was shunted out.

Without specifying which of those decisions were his alone, Akhilesh said today that "some decisions were taken with consultation with netaji (Mulayam Singh) and some I took on my own."

In the meanwhile, Shivpal is reportedly on his way to Delhi to meet with Mulayam who's also in the Capital. Shivpal told the media this morning that he will take a call on resigning based on what Mulayam tells him to do. He underscored this morning that the real leader of the SP is Mulayam, not Akhilesh.

The family feud within the Samajwadi Party has escalated even as all parties are preparing for Assembly polls in UP, scheduled for early next year. Akhilesh is expected to meet the state's governor today, and there's speculation that he might ask for dissolving the government and calling state polls earlier than scheduled.
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