In a dramatic turn of events , UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday sacked four ministers including his uncle Shivpal Yadav. A letter in this regard has been sent to the governor Ram Naik. Those who have been sacked include Shivpal Yadav, Shadab Fatima, Narad Rai and Omprakash Singh. He has also removed cine-star turned politician Jaya Prada, close to Amar Singh, who headed the film division of UP. Sacking of Jaya Prada is being viewed as Akhilesh’s open animosity towards Amar Singh. Soon after the decision was intimated, Shivpal met party supremo Mualayam Singh Yadav at his residence.
The chief minister took this drastic decision at a meeting of legislators held at his official residence,5 Kalidas Road. More than 180 legislators were reportedly present. "Though he did not mention the name of his uncle Shivpal, Akhilesh made it clear that those attempting to weaken the party will not be spared," one of the MLAs present at the meeting told THE WEEK. MLAs supporting Shivpal were not invited.
The chief minister said that he was the real successor of his father Mulayam singh Yadav and he would make all efforts to stem the party's disintegration. Amidst these developments ,Mulayam Singh also held a conference with the senior leaders of the party at his residence.
The backdrop of this significant decision taken by the chief minister is an ongoing three month old feud going on with his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Last month, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had stripped his uncle of some important portfolios in the government. In retaliation, when Shvipal became the state head of the party, he sacked seven youth leaders close to Akhilesh from the party.
After this decision of Akhilesh, which is being viewed as his efforts to assert his authority over the party and the government, the million dollar question that is being asked in the political circles was whether it would lead to disintegration of the party.
The immediate provocation to the chief minister was the expulsion of MLC Udayveer Singh, who is very close to Akhilesh, by the party head Shivpal Yadav. Udayveer had openly supported Akhilesh Yadav and wrote a bitter letter to Mulayam in this connection. Another major cause of tug of war between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal is MP Amar Singh. It is an open secret that Amar Singh is not in the good books of Akhilesh, who never really liked him
