Yadav vs Yadav: Things will soon be back on track, says SP

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday termed the crisis in the party as 'unfortunate' and asked party members to support Mulayam Singh Yadav in the family feud which has seen Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav being expelled for six years.

"Netaji (Mulayam) had said yesterday that if the chief minister admits his fault, then he will try to end the matter. When in 2012, Netaji made Akhilesh Yadav chief minister, then both of them didn't think that such thing will take place," senior party leader Madhukar Jetley told ANI.

"This was very unfortunate. Both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulaym Singh did not imagine this would happen. Mulayam Singh Yadav had made many efforts and struggled a lot to make the party. I hope that he will handle the situation very nicely. I am hopeful that Akhilesh Yadav will realise these things in the future," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, former cabinet minister Raj Kishore Singh said party members have been working with Mulayam Singh's party for 14 years, and therefore, will always stand by him.

"We have got information from the party that there is a meeting. So, we came here. Netaji called us for a meeting that is why we came. We are with Netaji and will always support him," he added.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh has called a meeting of all 393 candidates today.

Akhilesh, too, has convened a meeting of MLAs as a showdown against his father to establish that the majority of Samajwadi Party MLAs are with him.

Mulayam yesterday expelled Akhilesh and national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years over indiscipline.

This move comes after Akhilesh had released a list of 235 candidates out of the total 403 seats for upcoming state assembly elections on Thursday, rejecting the list announced by Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday.

Akhilesh's name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam said his son, being the chief minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to.