Akhilesh urges Mulayam to withdraw appeal from EC: Sources; Here's what Netaji says

New Delhi: The Chief Minister of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav has urged his father and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to withdraw appeal from the Election Commission (EC), said sources on Tuesday. However, Mulayam Singh in turn said, ask Ramgopal to withdraw, oust Ramgopal, sources added. On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav met in Lucknow his father Mulayam Singh in what informed sources said was a last-minute bid to buy peace in the party. The 90-minute meeting, at Mulayam Singh’s residence, came amid the serious prospects of the EC freezing the party’s election symbol ‘cycle’. MUST READ: Is CM Akhilesh Yadav a new, 'living symbol' of Samajwadi Party who doesn't depend on 'cycle'? EC to hear both sides on January 13 Meanwhile, EC on Tuesday fixed January 13 as the date for hearing the Samajwadi Party (SP) factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and and his son Akhilesh Yadav to settle the feud over control of the party and its election symbol, ‘cycle’. ALSO READ: 90-minute conversation between Mulayam, Akhilesh but still impasse continues 'SP feud working in BJP's favour; will end its vanvas in UP': Vinay Sahasrabuddhe The factional feud in Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is turning out to be "very much favourable" for the BJP and will help in ending its 14-year-old political "vanvas" in the poll-bound state, party national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said on Tuesday. He said besides SP, the Mayawati-led BSP and Congress under its vice-president Rahul Gandhi are not in reckoning in the power race. "Whatever is unfolding in UP, it's turning out to be very much favourable for our party. Samajwadi Party, which was in a position to give a little bit of fight in the elections, is nowhere in the frey now. People were having some positive opinion about Akhilesh's so called good governance, but all that has blown into air," he told a press conference. The Rajya Sabha MP said the turf war between the two factions--led by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav--will end the "vanvaas" (exile) of the BJP of last 14 years. Rajnath Singh was the last BJP chief minister in Uttar Pradesh in 2002. (With inputs from PTI)