Just months before Assembly elections in India’s largest state, it is roiling in political mudslinging as the incumbent government is crumbling along with the ruling party, which seemed all set to implode on Sunday. None other than Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has locked horns with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief of the ruling Samajwadi Party. And the problem seems to be over Shivpal Yadav, the state party chief who enjoys the support of his elder brother, ‘netaji’ Mulayam Yadav.
On Sunday, Akhilesh Yadav sacked Shivpal Yadav and three ministers, said to be close to Amar Singh, from the cabinet. Mulayam Singh Yadav responded by expelling his cousin Ramgopal Yadav, national general secretary of the party and a known supporter of the chief minister, from the party for six years.
Monday has already seen high drama involving tears and a shouting match in a party meeting, during which he offered to resign.
“You took me to these heights...Where do I go from there?” Akhilesh Yadav is quoted to have said during the meeting while addressing senior party leaders and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. “If you had told me to go, resign, I would have gone,” he said while choking up more than once during the meeting and denied the possibility of forming a new party.
Mulayam Singh meanwhile chose to stick to his guns about siding with Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh whom columnists often term an inhabitant of the “dark underbelly of the murky world of politics. In Delhi’s power circuit, they see him as a ‘wheeler dealer’, a reference to his strong connections and clout.”
Assembly elections are due early next year in Uttar Pradesh, where the ruling Samajwadi Party faces anti-incumbency. With Bahujan Samaj Party’s revival and Bharatiya Janata Party gaining ground, and Congress fighting to stay relevant, the social media is hooked to the political drama as it unfolds.
Twitter saw some humour and sharp barbs doing the rounds on Sunday and Monday as people speculated about the Samajwadi Party's future.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!