Samajwadi Party's family tussle continues: Top developments

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party's ongoing feud took another drastic turn on Sunday when around thousands of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's supporters gathered at party's national convention in Lucknow and named him the party's chief, thus replacing Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been holding the position for decades. 

Here, we take a brief look at the day 2 of the feud between Mulayam-Akhilesh-Shivpal, as any political experts indicate of 'splitsville', especially after what happened on December 31. 

- A day after Samajwadi revoked the expulsion of Akhilesh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav, the pro-Akhilesh faction removes Mulayam Singh Yadav as the party president and anoints the Chief Minister at his place. The event took place at a convention called by Ram Gopal Yadav in Lucknow.

- The convention also removes Shivpal Yadav as state chief of Samajwadi Party and expels Mulayam's aide Amar Singh from the party with immediate effect. 

- Mulayam Singh retorts by expelling Ram Gopal Yadav once again from the party for six years along national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda, who chaired the convention, and general secretary Naresh Agarwal for participating in it.

- The convention also authorizes Akhilesh to constitute a national executive, parliamentary board and various state units, as required, and inform the Election Commission of the developments at the earliest.

- Mulayam declares all decisions taken at the convention as 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional'. "The convention had not been called with permission of the national president and so all decision taken there are invalid," Mulayam said in a hard-hitting letter.

- Mulayam calls for a national convention of the party to be held on January 5 at the same venue here, in a counter move.

- In more signs of defiance, Akhilesh appoints MLC Naresh Uttam as the new state president, replacing Shivpal.

- Soon after the appointment of the new state unit president, Akhilesh supporters lay siege to the state SP headquarters here in the high-security VIP zone and forcibly wrench out the nameplate of Shivpal to vent their ire.

- Heavy deployment of UP police and contingents of PAC seen outside the party office on Vikramaditya Marg where supporters of Shivpal too protested his removal from the post of state SP chief, often coming to blows with Akhilesh supporters.

- Shivpal Yadav alleges that Chief Minister Akhilesh is misusing the police machinery provided to him by allowing such hooliganism.

- After being announced as Samajwadi Party state president, Naresh Uttam says Akhilesh will decide on the remaining tickets of the party.

- Samajwadi Party to move Election Commission on Monday to stake claim to fight on party symbol in UP as Akhilesh Yadav is made party's national president. 

- A team of doctors reaches the residence of Mulayam Singh Yadav as he complaints of high blood pressure.