Shivpal announces truce, says will name Akhilesh as CM if party wins

Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Oct. 16 (ANI): After Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh created a ripple in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh political circle by saying that MLAs and party's parliamentary board will take a call on the next chief ministerial candidate, party state president and Mulayam's brother Shivpal Singh Yadav on Sunday said he would propose incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's name for the coveted post if his party wins. Shivpal's statement has been seen by many as an attempt to placate the situation aroused out of the spat between uncle-nephew duo ahead of the crucial state elections. Addressing a meeting of party workers' after unveiling a bridge and roads at Chitbara village under the Fefana assembly constituency in Ballia district, Shivpal said, "I will propose the name of Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Minister if the party wins the 2017 assembly polls." Shivpal, however, did not stop there, and went ahead with heaping praises on his disgruntled nephew for the development brought about by his government in the state as compared to the previous governments and listed the Chief Minister's achievements before the gathering. "Solving people's problems is leadership. IAS and IPS officers, who are wise and learned people, have been given all facilities to work, but they believe in creating roadblocks. They use their wisdom to ensure that the development could not take place. Many officers have been dealt with, while others are on the radar too," he added. Speaking over Ram Gopal Yadav's hard-hitting letter to cousin Mulayam Singh, where he cautioned him that he would be held responsible in case he fails to win even 100 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in 2017, Shivpal said, "Since he is the national general secretary, he has all rights to advice party's national president Mulayam Singh." Akhilesh had earlier divested Shivpal of all important ministerial portfolios, including PWD, irrigation, cooperative, flood control and revenue and handed him the social welfare department. Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended. The feud in the family grew even more when Mulayam Singh appointed his brother Shivpal, as the state party chief. After all this, Akhilesh withdrew Public Works Department, irrigation and two other portfolios from Shivpal and allotted them to other ministers. However, Mulayam defended Shivpal and warned that the party would be in major trouble if Shivpal resigned. While in mid September, Akhilesh said at a function that he has rejected Shivpal's resignation and would comply with whatever his father directs. (ANI)