NCP cautions Samajwadi Party following rift between Mulayam, Akhilesh

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday cautioned the Samajwadi Party while hinting at a crack in the party fold post Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's move to sack his uncle from all ministerial portfolios and said they will have to very soon take corrective measures to see that everything is in order.

NCP leader Majeed Memon pointed out that the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will be a semi-final contest ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Uttar Pradesh is going to face the people's mandate in a few months to come hereafter and it being the largest state of the country, it's going to be margdarshak for 2019. As a matter of fact, this is something like a semi-final and therefore the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also pulling up its socks and trying its best to ensure that what result people gave them in 2014, that they literally swept Uttar Pradesh," said Memon.

The NCP leader also pointed out that Samajwadi Party boss Mulayam Singh Yadav may have many tough days to come to face hereafter even the present situation continues in his party.

"Although Modi wave has receded substantially anywhere else in the country also, but then they want to retain their upper hand in Uttar Pradesh and probably think of getting to power, which does not seem very probable in the present circumstances," said Memon.

"But as far as the ruling party is concerned...the Samajwadi has threat from the BJP, Congress and others because now Nitish and Lalu are also likely to plunge into Uttar Pradesh politics," he added.

Emphasizing on Amar Singh's entry in the Samajwadi Party camp, Memon said very soon they will have to take corrective measures to see that everything is in order.

"Amar Singh's entry also caused some kind of an anguish in Azam Khan's camp and all these things are going on. But I am sure the necessity is to make everything in order and I think the Samajwadi Party would do that soon," he added.

Akhilesh Yadav yesterday divested party member Shivpal Yadav of all important ministerial portfolios including PWD, irrigation, cooperative, flood control and revenue and handed him the social welfare department.

Prior to it, Shivpal had replaced him as its new chief in Uttar Pradesh on the instructions of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The development came hours after Akhilesh shunted out state chief secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar.

The move comes at a time when the state is gearing up for assembly elections which is scheduled to take place next year.