"I knew this will happen someday": Shivpal on being sacked

Ahead of the crucial meeting convened by Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh to discuss the future course of action in the wake of the escalating feud within the party ranks, his brother Shivpal Yadav on Monday said that he knew about his sacking from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet beforehand.

"We are preparing for upcoming elections and will directly meet people. I knew this will happen someday," he told the media here.

Mulayam has called the meeting to be attended by the Samajwadi Party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders to discuss plans to celebrate 25 years of the party he founded.

He is expected to make an announcement to settle the crisis that has engulfed the Samajwadi Party as his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and brother Shivpal Yadav have warred.

The meeting takes place a day after yesterday's dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked Shivpal from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.

Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.

This was announced by Shivpal, who alleged that Ram Gopal was tarnishing the Samajwadi Party's image by colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and attempting to weaken Mulayam's hold on the party.

Meanwhile, the supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal gathered outside the party office in Lucknow and engaged in competitive sloganeering ahead of the meeting called by Mulayam.

The opposition parties are keeping a close tab of today's meeting amid speculations that the Samajwadi Party is headed for a split just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Keshav Prasad Maurya yesterday said that the Samajwadi Party Government has been reduced to minority.

He also demanded the Akhilesh Yadav-led government to prove its majority on the floor of the house.