LUCKNOW, Jan 1 - Ruling Samajwadi Party today finally split with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav being anointed the SP president upstaging his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, who yet again expelled Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years and termed as illegal all decisions taken at a national convention convened by him.
The national convention, earlier in the day, also proposed the expulsion of �outsider� Amar Singh and removal of Shivpal Singh Yadav from the post of SP�s UP chief.
Stung by these �decisions�, Mulayam struck back, issuing a hard-hitting letter that said the national convention had not been convened with permission of the national president and so all decisions taken there are illegal.
�The parliamentary board of the party declares all the proposals, decisions and the convention itself illegal and expels Ramgopal, who convened the convention, for six years,� the letter stated.
The bitter power struggle hit a new low with Mulayam also convening a national convention of the party on January 5 at the same venue here to show people as to who had more clout in the party.
Crisis refused to die down in the party as Akhilesh was �unanimously� crowned the SP national president at the convention a day after over 200 of the 229 party MLAs met him at his residence here at a show of strength which left his father�s camp with barely 20 MLAs.
The proposal to make Akhilesh SP chief was welcomed by a huge applause by party cadres gathered at the sprawling Janeshwar Misra Park raising their hands.
Ramgopal also moved a proposal to make Mulayam Singh, the founder president of the party, as party patron and removing Shivpal Yadav from the state unit post.
Earlier this morning, as soon as the national convention got under way at the park, Mulayam issued a letter declaring the convention as �unconstitutional�. �Today a so-called convention has been convened by Ramgopal. This is against party constitution and discipline. This has been convened to damage the party,� Yadav said in the letter.
Although Mulayam warned that participation in the convention will be taken as indiscipline and action will be initiated against those attending it, almost all the senior leaders who had been longtime associates of Mulayam shared the dais with Ramgopal and Akhilesh.
Soon after being proposed as the national president of the party, Akhilesh said his respect for his father was more than ever and that he would stand against those conspiring against the party.
The convention also authorised Akhilesh to constitute a national executive, parliamentary board and various state units, as required, and inform the Election Commission of the developments at the earliest.
The fresh developments have almost left both Mulayam and younger brother Shivpal isolated in the party. � PTI
