Mulayam says no rift with son, blames Ram Gopal

The battle now is for the party's poll symbol, the bicycle, which Mulayam claims as Samajwadi chief

Mulayam Singh Yadav, founder-patriarch of the Samajwadi Party (SP), whose son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has staged a coup against him, decided to state on Monday that the two had no differences.

"There is no rift with my son. One person is creating problems. I am sure the issues will be resolved," he said, in a reference to cousin, Ram Gopal Yadav, a prime organiser of Akhilesh's moves in the ongoing power struggle.

The SP and the ruling Yadav family in Uttar Pradesh has been in the limelight for many days, amid claims and counter-claims by both groups.

The big battle now, with legislative assembly elections having been called, is for the party's known poll symbol, the bicycle. On Monday, Mulayam asserted himself as the party chief before the Election Commission of India and told it to not believe the documents in this regard filed by Ram Gopal.

And, Mulayam asked Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari to remove Ram Gopal as head of the SP group in the House, saying the latter had been expelled from the party.

Ram Gopal has also met the ECI and urged a quick decision, while claiming the Akhilesh group would get the bicycle symbol. And, on Monday, he ruled out a compromise, saying the majority of the party's MLAs and functionaries were supporting Akhilesh.

Both sides have said they are trying to save the party. Elections for the 403-member UP assembly will be held in seven phases, from February 11 to March 8. The results will be out on March 11.