Uttar Pradesh: SP leader Shivpal Yadav has been made new UP Chief in place of Akhilesh Yadav

New Delhi: Leader of Samajwadi Party Shivpal Yadav is made Party's Uttar Pradesh unit President in place of Akhilesh Yadav. This has strained the relationship between the CM and him and consequently he (Shivpal Yadav) will resign from UP government tomorrow, said source. The rift within the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh widened today as party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav replaced his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh as the state unit chief with his brother and senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav. "SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav has appointed you as the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit. It is hoped that with your hard work, you will further strengthen the party," SP National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said in a letter addressed to Shivpal Singh Yadav. A copy of the letter was also marked to Akhilesh Yadav. The development came hours after Akhilesh shunted out state Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal Singh, and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar. Singhal had taken over as Chief Secretary nearly two months ago. Disagreements between Akhilesh and Shivpal have been reported on several occasions in the past, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended, and the postponement of Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with SP. In 2017, legislative assembly election will be held  for the 403 seats of the Vidhan Sabha in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The dates of the election are yet to be announced. In the previous election in 2012, the Samajwadi Party won a majority and formed government in the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav.