New Delhi: Asserting that he remains Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday told the Election Commission that the convention called by Akhilesh Yadav camp was “unconstitutional” and that the party’s electoral symbol of ‘cycle’ should remain with his camp.
Accompanied by his loyalists Amar Singh and Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam also contested the affidavits of party leaders submitted by the party faction owing allegiance to his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, alleging they were forged and asked the EC to get them verified.
Party sources said he also told the EC that Ram Gopal Yadav, who had called the convention in which Akhilesh was made the party president, was expelled from the outfit before that and, therefore, the meeting was unconstitutional as per SP’s constitution.
He also said that while there was a resolution appointing Akhilesh as party president and another one appointing him as its mentor, there was no resolution removing him from the party chief’s post.
Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari informing him about the expulsion of Akhilesh loyalist Ramgopal Yadav from the party and as leader of the party in the Upper House.
He also urged Ansari to shift Ramgopal’s seat to the back benches following his expulsion from the party. As of now, he has been occupying one of the front benches near BSP supremo Mayawati’s seat.
“Chairman Rajya Sabha has received letter frm Sh. Mulayam S Yadav, intimating expulsion of Sh. Ramgopal Yadav from SP — will be duly examined,” OSD to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Gurdeep Singh Sappal tweeted. Sources in the party said the letter informed the Rajya Sabha secretariat that Ramgopal, a cousin of Mulayam, was expelled from the party for six years on 30 December, 2016 and ceases to be leader of SP’s Parliamentary Party in the Upper House. (PTI)
