Election Commission of India reserves its order in Samajwadi Party case; to decide on which group will claim party symbol

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday reserved its order in Samajwadi Party case. It will decide on which group will claim the party symbol. Earlier in the day, supporters from both factions that is Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s reach EC office. From Askhilesh’s camp Ramgopal Yadav, Kiranmoy Nanda and Naresh Agarwal were present The two SP factions led by Mulayam and Akhilesh have staked claim over the party and its election symbol ‘cycle’ ahead of Assembly elections. Candidates from both, Mulayam and Akhilesh camps cannot fight election on ‘cycle’ symbol at the same time, therefore, the EC will have to take a call on the issue before the filing of nominations begins. The Commission wants to settle the matter before January 17 provided the two sides proceed accordingly. The Samajwadi Party in-fight refuses to subside, as the current stalemate between Akhilesh and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav over the post of the party president, failed to reach a conclusion. According to sources, Mulayam told Akhilesh to step down from the post saying that he would remain to be the party’s face for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. But, Akhilesh refused the offer saying that he would pass on the baton once the elections are over. The sources further state that the meeting is likely to take place again to discuss about the same. Taking full control of the ruling party after being crowned as its head at a disputed national convention here on January 1, Akhilesh has been going whole hog consolidating his grip over the organisation by making new appointments and releasing list of candidates for the Legislative Council polls. Notably, the Lok Dal on Thursday offered its symbol to embattled Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest the Uttar Pradesh elections in case the ‘cycle’ symbol is frozen by the Election Commission due to feud in the party. Lok Dal is a registered, unrecognised party which its national president Sunil Singh claimed was formed by socialist leader Charan Singh in 1980. “I met Mulayam Singh and offered him to contest the elections on our symbol (farmer ploughing the field)) in case the cycle symbol is frozen. But he is hopeful that the feud will be settled and the symbol would not be frozen,” Singh told reporters after the meeting. Asked whether he discussed any modalities with Yadav, Singh said Mulayam is a senior socialist leader and he is free to be the party president.