The internal feud in the Samajwadi Party turned murkier on the New Year, with Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, staging a coup on Sunday morning removing his father Mulayam Singh Yadav as the party's national president, sacking his uncle Shivpal Yadav as party's state head and expelling Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh from the party.
Here are the 10 highlights of the big story
1. In a hurriedly called emergency convention at Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav supporters elected him the Samajwadi Party's new chief in place of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akhilesh's another uncle Ram Gopal Yadav moved motions to this effect.
2. The convention said Mulayam, who is the founder leader of the party, would be party's 'Marg Darshak'.
3. Mulayam Singh struck back and called the convention illegal. He also expelled Ram Gopal from the party for six years. Mulayam Singh also announced a convention of his own on January 5.
4. On Sunday afternoon, Akhilesh supporters laid siege to party headquarters in Lucknow and forcibly removed Shivpal Yadav's nameplate outside his room.
5. The new developments came a day after the high drama in which Mulayam expelled Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav for six years on Friday only to take them back to the party on Saturday morning, sensing that most of the MLAs were supporting the chief minister.
6. In a show of strength on Saturday, more than 200 party legislators of the total 229 in the state assembly attended a meeting called by Akhilesh Yadav, despite stern warning from Mulayam. Prominent among them were Rajya Sabha MPs Reoti Raman Singh and Naresh Agarwal and ministers Rajendra Chowdhary, Balram Yadav, Abhishek Mishra, Nitin Agarwal and Ahmad Hasan.
7. On Sunday, Akhilesh said nothing had changed between him and his father and that he would continue to serve him in the capacity of a son. He said that his father would be the happiest if the Samajwadi Party won the coming assembly elections, likely to be announced any time now.
8. Akhilesh lashed out at Shivpal Yadav accusing him of working against the interest of the party. He also thanked everyone who have stood by him in the ugly war within the state's first family.
9. The latest crisis began after Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav prepared separate candidates list for the assembly elections, prompting Mulayam to make a fresh list of candidates.
10. With the party moving towards a virtual split, supporters of both Mulayam camp and Akhilesh camp staged protests in Lucknow.
