Akhilesh won't resign from CM post, say Sources

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and party General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav from SP for six years.  What happened so far:

• Centre ready for President's rule in UttarPradesh if situation demands: Sources
• Akhilesh Yadav brought me in Samajwadi Party, I'll continue to support him: Naved Siddiqui, SP spokesperson
• Naved Siddiqui, SP spokesperson resigned from party in support of Akhilesh Yadav
• Uttar Pradesh DGP reaches Mulayam Singh's residence
• Don't attend party meet called by Ramgopal Yadav on Jan 1, Shivpal Yadav writes to SP workers
• No political crisis in UP yet, says Governor Ram Naik
• There is situation of political instability in UP, it's worrisome for democracy. We don't comment on internal division of any party: RS Surjewala, Congress
• Mulayam Singh likely to take charge of the Uttar Pradesh governmnet: Sources
• Akhilesh Yadav likely to address a press conference shortly
• Defiant Ramgopal says he still is general secretary of SP and party meet called by him on Sunday will take place in any eventuality.
• Ramgopal Yadav terms his and CM Akhilesh Yadav's expulsion from Samajwadi Party as unconstitutional
• Scores of supporters gather outside UP CM's residence

  Supporters of Akhilesh Yadav at UP CM's residence.

• New Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh will be decided by us, says Mulayam after expelling son Akhilesh from party. PTI
• "The party is our priority... both of them indulged in indiscipline," Mulayam said.
• We have to save the party, that is why expelling both Akhilesh and Ramgopal, says Mulayam

• Akhilesh Yadav also expelled from SP for 6 years, says Mulayam
• Ramgopal has not only indulged in indiscipline but is causing a big harm to the party; We will take action more than expulsion against him: Mulayam.
• Emergency meeting called by Ramgopal unconstitutional; Nobody else than party chief can call such a meeting, says SP supremo Mulayam.
• Ramgopal finishing career of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who "does not understand", says Mulayam.

Earlier today, Akhilesh was issued a show-cause notice to son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for 'announcing' his own list of candidates for 235 seats against the official party list. SP supremo also expelled party  General Secretry Ramgopal Yadav, who was earlier issued a notice, for six years for indiscipline. "No one has the right to call for a national executive meet other than party Chief, by doing this Ramgopal has hurt party's interest," Mulayam said. Stung by show-cause notice, Ramgopal had called emergency meeting of SP on January 1 in his capacity as General Secretary. Akhilesh's list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media last night by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list. It included the names of 171 sitting MLAs and 64 new faces. Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday issued a show-cause notice to son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Photo: ANI Mulayam Singh Yadav has also called a meeting on Saturday of all those allotted tickets by him even as the Chief Minister's camp remained adamant on contesting against the official candidates of the party. Hectic attempts were said to be made by Mulayam to avert a split after the crisis reached a flash point late last night when Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections, parallel to the party's official list of 393 nominees. Mulayam has convened a meeting here tomorrow of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him. Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats. This morning, Shivpal Yadav, the warring uncle of Akhilesh, had met his brother Mulayam for nearly an hour, but it was not immediately known what transpired at the meeting. Shivpal did not answer questions of reporters waiting outside Mulayam's residence. Mulayam's cousin and expelled SP General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who is Akhilesh supporter, had asserted that there was no question of going back on the list prepared by the Chief Minister. In an apparent attack on Shivpal, he said many in the party do not want to see Akhilesh as Chief Minister again. "But, the fact remains that people of the state want him back as CM," he claimed. He said Mulayam had convened a meeting on January 1 to take a final call on ticket distribution, "but due to pressure (from Shivpal), he announced the list on December 28". Akhilesh's list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media last night by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list. Party observers said since names of 170 to 180 candidates figured in both the lists, it would be interesting to watch if they attended the meeting convened by Mulayam or opted out. Akhilesh, who was present at an official function here this morning, did not take questions from media persons. Though Akhilesh loyalists were enthusiastic to fight the elections "in the name of and as the face of the CM", it was still not clear as to whether they would fight as Independents or float a new party. Prominent among those figuring in the list of Akhilesh are his hardcore loyalists -- ministers Arvind Singh Gope, Pawan Pandey and Ram Govind Chaudhary, who were denied ticket by Mulayam.