Chances of compromise dim, says SP leader

Samajwadi Party (SP) National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who belongs to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's camp, on Friday said chances of a compromise between the two warring camps of the party are dim.

The Samajwadi Party camps currently engaged in a battle of political one-upmanship are led by Akhilesh and his father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is backed by Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav said on Friday that Mulayam has summoned all 393 party candidates announced for the 2017 assembly polls for a meeting on December 31.

Ram Gopal said he would stay with Akhilesh, who is his nephew, and campaign for candidates announced by the Chief MInister if the situation so warranted.

The SP leader said the list of 235 candidates released by the Chief Minister was the "real one".

Asked which camp -- in case of a split in the Samajwadi Party -- will get the election symbol 'Cycle', the Rajya Sabha member said the Election Commission will decide that.

Without taking names, Ram Gopal Yadav targeted Shivpal, who is a state minister and the SP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief, and said there were some jealous people poisoning the mind of Mulayam Singh Yadav and influencing his decisions.

Ram Gopal wrote open letters to the SP supremo to question his decisions a few months ago, and was thrown out of the ruling party for six years.

He returned to the party fold weeks later, a day after he broke down at a presser, claiming humiliation by the party.

--IANS

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