For the first time in the history of Samajwadi Party since its inception in October 1992, party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav will be conspicuous by his absence at the party’s state convention in Lucknow on September 23.
Along with his brother Shivpal Yadav, Mulayam too has not been invited for the function. OnJanuary this year, Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav brushed aside his father and took taken over as the SP national president.
On Friday, Shivpal Yadav said in Lucknow that he and Netaji (Mulayam Singh) have not received any invitation from the party’s national president to attend the state convention on September 23. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said on Friday that the 8th state convention will see the participation of more than 15,000 workers and workers were working hard to make the convention successful.
Hoardings and banners along with big cut outs of SP ideologue Ram manohar Lohia, Janeshwar Mishra and others were installed in city for the convention. Welcome gates and cut outs of several senior SP leaders and ideologues have also been set up by the party workers. Photos and cut outs of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav (Akhilesh’ warring uncle) have however beeen missing.
Chaudhary said that the convention will start by 9.45 am with SP chief Akhilesh Yafdav hoisting the flag and the function will start at 10 am after signing of national anthem. Some cultural programmes later, the SP president will address a gathering at 11 am.
Later political and economic resolutions will be tabled which will be debateed after lunch. This will be followed by the election of president and other office bearers of the state unit. The convention will conclude with the address of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav at 5 pm.
Samajwadi Party sources maintained that not much has changed in the party ever since Akhilesh Yadav took over as national president.
``Akhilesh was elected as national president in an emergency national convention which was followed by the Assembly election. There was doubt in the minds of some people that he would relinquish the top SP post after elections in favour of his father which did not happen. The state convention followed by the national convention at Agra on October 3 will send a clear message that the transition of power from father to son is irrevocable and final,” said a senior SP leader.
The sign of fresh strains in the Samajwadi Party ahead of its state and national convention were visible on Thursday as Mulayam Singh removed Akhilesh-loyalist Ram Gopal Yadav from the post of secretary of Lohia Trust and appointed his brother Shivpal Yadav in his place.
