Akhilesh Yadav meets Governor, briefs him on political situation in UP

Lucknow, October 26

As the war in the ruling Samajwadi Party continued, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav triggered speculation in the political circles on Wednesday by suddenly meeting Governor Ram Naik, hours after one more leader considered close to him was expelled from the party.

While the meeting between Akhilesh and Naik was officially described as a courtesy call, sources in Raj Bhawan said the prevailing political situation in the state did figure during the 15-minute interaction.

"It was a courtesy call. The Chief Minister called on the Governor to wish him ahead of Diwali as Naik will be out of station during the festival," an official spokesman told PTI.

Raj Bhawan officially described the meeting as a "courtesy call".

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It was one-on-one meeting without any aides.

Though officials maintained that an appointment had been sought in advance, the sudden meeting triggered speculation in the political circles.

Akhilesh abruptly left a meeting he was holding with party legislators and senior leaders to finalise details of his proposed 'rath yatra' from November 3, which led to spread of the word in the political circles that the call on could have been in the context of prevailing political situation in the state.

Sources said the Governor had asked the Chief Minister to apprise him of the latest political situation in the state considering the deep divisions in the ruling party.

Reports were doing the rounds that the Governor had sought a list of MLAs to convince himself that Akhilesh still enjoyed majority in the Assembly. However, sources said neither the Governor had sought any such list nor any such document was handed over to him by Akhilesh.

SP sources said the visit might have been in connection with the four vacancies in the ministry after Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav, Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Sayeda Shadaab Fatima in a sudden move on Sunday, plunging the party into a deeper crisis.

Earlier in the day, Shivpal, who is the state SP chief, expelled Tejnarain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey, who is considered close to Akhilesh Yadav, for six years for "indiscipline".

Shivpal also wrote to the Chief Minister requesting that he be sacked from the ministry. Pandey is a junior minister in the Akhilesh government.

Pandey had clashed and allegedly beaten up SP MLC Ashu Malik, whom Akhilesh had accused of planting stories in the media against him.

"Pawan Pandey is being expelled from Samajwadi Party for six years on charges of indiscipline," Shivpal announced at a press conference in the morning.

Shivpal, who is at loggerheads with Akhilesh, said he has written a letter to the Chief Minister requesting him to sack Pandey from his ministry.

(Also read: BJP terms SP family feud a 'fixed match')

Replying to questions, he maintained there was no dispute in the Samajwadi Party and the Mulayam family.

Pandey termed the charges levelled against him as false and part of a conspiracy.

"I might have been expelled from the party through a piece of paper but SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will always remain in my heart...I have no regrets over the expulsion," he told reporters.

"Ashu Malik has cited in the police complaint that he was beaten up outside the CM's residence...CCTV cameras are installed all over the place and media was also present there on that day...If the footage is checked, the truth will come to light," he added.

Malik had alleged that Pandey slapped him at the Chief Minister's residence.

"Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had called me to clarify things related to a news article published in an English daily wherein Akhilesh Yadav was referred to as Aurangzeb and SP Chief Mulayam Singh as Shahjahan," Malik had said.

"When I was at CM's residence, party leader Pawan Pandey came and attacked me. He slapped me twice," he had said, adding Akhilesh was not present at his residence when the incident took place.

Malik had lodged a written complaint against Pandey accusing him of attacking him, but no FIR has been registered in the matter so far.

Shivpal's latest move to expel Pandey, who is close to Akhilesh, comes a day after the SP chief sought to project an 'all is well' image.

"My family and party are united. All workers are united. There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base," Mulayam had said yesterday, adding: "There is not 'matbhed' (difference) or 'manbhed' (ill feelings) among our leaders". 

Before proceeding to Raj Bhawan, Akhilesh held a meeting with his youth supporters and party workers where he asked them to transcend differences and gear up for his 'rath yatra' scheduled from November 3 and also for SP's silver jubilee celebrations in the state capital on November 5.

"You all should highlight works done by the SP government since 2012. We have to seek votes in the name of development, which topped our government's agenda," he told them.

During an informal chat with his close confidants, the chief minister indicated that he was in no mood to take back four sacked ministers. Akhilesh had sacked his uncle Shivpal, Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Sayeda Sadaab Fatima from his ministry.

Shivpal has already surrendered his official vehicles and was in the process of vacating his official bungalow.

Shivpal also met party supremo before leaving for Delhi, where he will be extending invitation to all "like-minded" Socialist and Lohiaite leaders for the November 5 event in an effort to bring them under one umbrella for a possible 'maha gathbandhan' ahead of Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, a controversial hoarding of SP general secretary Amar Singh surfaced in the city. The poster, in which Singh's face was replaced by that of a dog, sarcastically read, "I am expert in breaking homes." But soon after the photo went viral on social media, the hoarding was brought down. — PTI