Ram Gopal bats for Akhilesh as rift in Netaji's party escalates

Amid the widening rift in the party fold in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on Sunday wrote a letter to all party workers asking them to stand behind his nephew and incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

In his one-page letter, Ram Gopal stated that the Samajwadi Party would yet again form the government in Uttar Pradesh under Akhilesh's leadership.

He asked the party workers to remain alert and positive and not get swayed by all the 'negativities' surrounding the party.

Ram Gopal also said that there are some people within the party who are misleading the public ahead of the 2017 assembly polls.

He said that those behind his nephew were those who sacrificed their life and blood for the party while others were misusing their position for ulterior motives.

Warning the Chief Minister's critics, Ram Gopal further said that they would be expelled if they do not follow the party high command's order.

The letter comes hours ahead of a meeting of the Samajwadi Party top brass which is scheduled to take place in Lucknow today.

Today's meeting takes place two days after Akhilesh skipped an important meeting called by his uncle and Samajwadi Party state chief Shivpal Yadav to formalise strategies for the polls.

Akhilesh, however, met the members separately at his residence after their meeting ended with Shivpal on Friday at the party headquarters.