Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said there is no rift in the Samajwadi Party after meeting his uncle and cabinet minister Shivpal Yadav, ANI reported. He said he has personally congratulated his uncle, who recently replaced him as the party chief of the state unit.
Akhilesh Yadav said he will always follow his father Mulayam Singh Yadav's orders. According to him, the party needs to stay united and work together against the opposition forces. The state is going for Assembly elections in 2017. On Saturday, Shivpal Yadav got back the three ministries that were taken away from him earlier this week, after he replaced Akhilesh yadav as the party chief.
The chief minister said Gayatri Prajapati, who was sacked as the mining minister earlier this week over allegations of corruption, will also be given back his post. While making the announcement, Akhilesh Yadav said, "I have two duties, as chief minister and as son. I will honour the word of the party president and I will do everything to make my father happy."
On Thursday, Shivpal Yadav had submitted his resignation to the chief minister and the party president, quitting all party and government positions. His supporters had taken to the streets demanding that he be reinstated. Mulayam Singh Yadav's move to replace Akhilesh Yadav with Shivpal Yadav was triggered by fears of an anti-incumbency vote against the state government.
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