Shivpal Yadav sacked: This development will neither harm nor weaken SP, says Azam Khan

Rampur [India], Oct. 23 (ANI): Downplaying the tectonic move of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sacking his uncle Shivpal Yadav who is considered to be Amar Singh's loyalist from his Cabinet, senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Sunday asserted that this development in no way affects or weakens the party. Stating that it was the right of a Chief Minister to sack who he wants from the Cabinet, Khan told the media here that Akhilesh had made it very clear within the party, that there will be no talks of any split or bifurcation. "Always knew such a day will come. Those with vision in the party already knew that such a day will come," he said. In regard with Amar Singh, the cabinet minister added that "always knew one person would be responsible for hurting the party." Meanwhile, pouncing on the SP over the recent development of the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contended that it was only a matter of time that the feuding party announced a massive split. Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said that the recent development regarding Shivpal Yadav indicated towards the final script being written for the impending split within the party. This came as a section of the Samajwadi Party leaders had earlier reportedly alleged that Amar Singh after coming back to the party was misinforming Mulayam Singh Yadav about the people and misleading him. They also reportedly alleged that Amar Singh was making desperate attempts to portray Akhilesh as weak and prevent the Samajwadi Party from coming back to power. Akhilesh had prior to today's meeting to discuss the power struggle within the party met his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. Reports suggest that the conversation between the father and son duo mostly revolved around Ram Gopal Yadav's letter to the party workers asking them to stand behind his nephew. The Chief Minister's action comes hours after Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav wrote a letter to party leaders to rally behind the former, thereby adding a major twist to the entire family tussle. In his one-page letter, Ram Gopal stated that the Samajwadi Party would yet again form the government in Uttar Pradesh under Akhilesh's leadership. Ram Gopal also said that there are some people within the party who are misleading the public ahead of the 2017 assembly polls. He said that those behind his nephew were those who sacrificed their life and blood for the party while others were misusing their position for ulterior motives. (ANI)