Akhilesh names SP national executive, Shivpal excluded

Lucknow, Oct 16 (IANS) The Samajwadi Party on Monday released the names of its new national executive members. Missing from the list is Shivpal Singh Yadav, the estranged uncle of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The development has triggered speculation that the rumbling in the Yadav family as well as the party is far from over.

After party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav attended a party event convened by his son Akhilesh Yadav, it was expected that Shivpal Yadav would be honourably accommodated in the national team.

Shivpal Yadav is a legislator from Jastwantnagar in Etawah and on many occasions has been favoured by Mulayam Singh over his son Akhilesh Yadav.

However, the war in the family, which erupted around the same time last year, looked headed for a rapprochement last week when Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav came together at a public event after a gap of one year.

Ram Gopal Yadav, who both Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav detest, has been named the Principal General Secretary of the party.

This is a new post created by Akhilesh Yadav, apparently to signal to adversaries that not only he is the boss but despite reservations about the Rajya Sabha member, the latter still is his favourite uncle.

Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav blame Ram Gopal Yadav for the wedge in the family.

There are 55 new members in the national executive. Kironmoy Nanda, who ditched Mulayam Singh and supported Akhilesh Yadav, continues to be a National Vice President.

There are seven other national General Secretaries. Many juniors have also been elevated to the post. Among them are Surendra Nagar and Inderjeet Saroj, who recently left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join the Samajwadi Party.

Neeraj Shekhar, son of late Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Sanjay Lathar and S.R.S. Yadav are also members of the national executive.