Difficult to repair rift in Samajwadi Party: Congress

The Congress Party on Friday took a jibe at the Samajwadi party over the reports of the ongoing rift within the family, saying the damage has been done and it is too late to fix things now.

Congress leader Ali Anwar said that looking at the inching polls in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, it seems difficult for the Samajwadi Party to resolve the ongoing spat.

"Now it is difficult to repair the rift in the Samajwadi Party, as there is very less time left for the UP polls. Now the party will have to bear the brunt," Anwar told ANI.

Newly-appointed Samajwadi Party (SP) Uttar Pradesh chief Shivpal Singh Yadav yesterday resigned from the state cabinet as well as from all the posts of party held by him.

Shivpal tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav after meeting his elder brother party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in the state capital.

However, Akhilesh did not accept his uncle's resignation.

Mulayam, earlier in the day, had summoned Shivpal, who is at loggerheads with Akhilesh, and held closed door meeting with him to defuse the situation.

Shivpal later met Akhilesh at his official residence, but the meeting lasted only 15 minutes.

Earlier on September 13, Akhilesh stripped Shivpal of key ministerial portfolios, hours after Mulayam replaced him with his uncle as the party's state unit chief.

Earlier in the day, party national general secretary Ramgopal had met the Chief Minister and claimed that "Akhilesh is not angry with anyone and the decision of Neta ji (Mulayam) is final in the party."

He said that "differences" had arisen due to some "misunderstanding" even as he made a veiled attack on Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh.

Earlier, Shivpal Yadav had reportedly announced the party's first list of 142 candidates for the 2017 polls.

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, and the postponement of Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with Samajwadi Party.