Akhilesh Yadav loyalist minister, legislators sacked by Shivpal back

Assuming full control of SP as its national president, Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday revoked expulsion of minister Pawan Pandey in Uttar Pradesh, a day after taking back into the party nine MLCs and youth wing leaders sacked for indiscipline by his warring uncle Shivpal Yadav.

"On the approval of Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, the expulsion of minister Pawan Pandey from the party is being revoked with immediate effect," state SP chief Naresh Uttam said in a press release here. The decision to revoke these tit-for-tat expulsions during the bitter power tussle in the ruling party was a foregone conclusion though formal orders to this effect were issued later.

This is the first major decision taken by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the SP national President, days after Election Commission ordered that his faction will get the 'bicycle' symbol.

Nine leaders including MLCs Anand Bhaduaria, Sunil Singh Sajan, Sanjay Lathar, Mulayam Singh, Youth Brigade national and state president Gaurav Dubey and Mohammad Aibad were expelled in September last by then state president Shivpal after he replaced nephew Akhilesh for the post in a bitter power game.

Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha state chief Brajesh Yadav and his counterpart in Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha Digvijay Singh, who were also sacked on charges of indiscipline after they led an agitation demanding restatement of Akhilesh, are also back into the party fold.

MLC Udaiveer Singh, who was expelled for attacking SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav alleging he was under influence of "outsiders", too is back.

MLC Arvind Yadav, nephew of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, against whom allegations of "land grabbing" was made by Shivpal while being sacked, has also been taken in. Akhilesh also appointed Geeta Singh as the state president of SP Mahila Sabha and restored youth leaders back to their their previous posts.

On Monday, Election Commission had settled the dispute over Samajwadi Party's name and symbol 'bicycle' in favour of Akhilesh.