Akhilesh meets UP governor amid party's power struggle

Amid a bitter power struggle in the ruling Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday met Governor Ram Naik and briefed him on the prevailing political situation in the state.

Triggering speculation in political circles, Akhilesh paid a sudden visit to the Raj Bhawan when he was in the middle of a meeting with party legislators and seniors to finalise details of his proposed ‘rath yatra’ from November 3.

The sudden visit caught everyone by surprise, though some said an appointment had been sought in advance.

Raj Bhawan sources said Akhilesh briefed the Governor on the prevailing political situation in the state.

SP sources said the visit might have been in connection with the four vacancies in the ministry after Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav, Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Sayeda Shadaab Fatima in a sudden move on Sunday, plunging the party into a deeper chaos.

Earlier in the day, Shivpal, who is also the state SP chief, expelled Tejnarain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey and wrote to the chief minister requesting that he be sacked from the ministry. Pandey is a junior minister in the Akhilesh government.

The feud in the Samajwadi Party showed no signs of ending though Shivpal maintained even on Wednesday that there was no dispute in the Samajwadi Party and the Mulayam Singh Yadav family.