LUCKNOW: A day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was expelled from the Samajwadi Party by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, he has been taken back in the party. The decision was announced after the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister met Mulayam Singh this afternoon at the party chief's residence. The meeting was organised by senior Samajwadi Party leader and cabinet minister Azam Khan. Akhilesh Yadav's close aide Ram Gopal Yadav, who was expelled alongside the chief minister yesterday, has been taken back as well.
Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:
- "I have just met Netaji (Mulayam Singh) and Akhilesh and Azam were also there. Netaji has told me to revoke Akhilesh's expulsion. Now we will all fight UP polls united and will form the government with majority. Now all misunderstandings are over and we will discuss all the things again and take decisions. We will discuss on ticket distribution," Akhilesh Yadav's uncle and Mulayam Singh's brother Shivpal Yadav said.
- Sources say, in the meeting with Mulayam Singh, Azam Khan had asked for the revocation of Akhilesh Yadav's expulsion. Akhilesh Yadav camp also wants Amar Singh out of Samajwadi Party, sources added.
- This morning, Akhilesh Yadav met many lawmakers and other leaders of the party at his 5 Kalidas Marg residence cum office in Lucknow.
- The Akhilesh camp claimed that over 190 lawmakers came to meet the chief minister.
- Mulayam Singh Yadav had also called a meeting this morning at his residence - about a kilometre away - of all the candidates that he has named for the UP assembly elections, which will be announced any day now. Mulayam Singh's list of candidates includes many sitting MLAs. But only about 20 legislators showed up for the meeting, along with about 60 other candidates.
- Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had earlier today spoken to both Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav to facilitate a patch-up, said, "I am very happy to know that the matter is sorted now. It's my responsibility to give right suggestion as he is my family member."
- On Friday evening Mulayam Singh Yadav had expelled Akhilesh from the party for six years, for refusing to accept the candidates he had chosen for the UP elections. Mulayam Singh said he had no choice and wanted to "save the party".
- Friday's fast-paced and dramatic events came after months of a bitter tussle for control in the party between Akhilesh Yadav, 44, and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who is Mulayam Singh's younger brother. Mulayam Singh has consistently sided with Shivpal, who replaced Akhilesh as the party's UP chief some months ago.
- Earlier this week, Mulayam Singh announced a list of candidates for the UP elections, excluding several of Akhilesh Yadav's key aides. Candidates recommended by Shivpal Yadav were favoured, including some with criminal backgrounds who were fiercely opposed by the chief minister.
- An upset Akhilesh first tried to reason with his father and then released a separate list of candidates. It was when his staunch supporter and Mulayam' cousin Ram Gopal called Sunday's meeting without the party chief's consent that both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal were expelled.
