No dispute in Samajwadi Party, says Mulayam as tussle over poll symbol continues

Mulayam made the statement while meeting with workers at the party headquarters in Lucknow along with brother Shivpal Yadav.

“Hamari party me koi vivad nahi hai (There is no dispute in our party),” he said in response to a question about the family tussle that has been raging since August last year.

He later left for New Delhi with Shivpal, where he is likely to approach the Election Commission to stake claim on the Samajwadi’s ‘cycle’ symbol given the upcoming crucial assembly elections next month.

On January 2, supporters of Akhilesh appointed him national president of the party, usurping Mulayam, during an emergency national convention organised in Lucknow.

With no signs of a truce, both factions are now locked in another tussle over the party symbol.

The Mulayam camp is likely to submit its set of affidavits on Monday, the deadline set by the EC for both the sides to submit documents before it decides on allotting the symbol to either the Mulayam faction or his son.

On Saturday, the Akhilesh faction submitted their affidavits which it claimed had signatures of “90 per cent” of legislators and delegates of the party, including over 200 of the 229 MLAs.

On reports that Mulayam got his room locked at the party office and put up his and Shivpal’s name plates, party state chief Naresh Uttam -- who was appointed by Akhilesh last week -- said, “their name plates were never removed”.

However, he added, “Akhileshji is our national president and we will contest polls under him. He was made president at national convention.”