Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav
Shivpal Yadav (Left)Official website of Shivpal Yadav

Shivpal Yadav, the uncle of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav, said on Sunday that Ram Gopal Yadav has been expelled from the Samajwadi Party and his position as the general secretary of the party for six years.

Shivpal added that Ram Gopal has been "conspiring against me" and has met leaders from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) thrice in the last few days "to save his son."

"Ram Gopal is involved with (the) BJP. He met BJP leaders three times in the last few days which UP CM is not understanding. Akhilesh Yadav must understand who is with him and who is not. He (Ram Gopal) has been conspiring against me. He has been involved with BJP to save his son. They have created a group of goons who trouble people and create every kind of nuisance in the state," Shivpal said at a press conference in Lucknow

He added that he is not worried about his dismissal as a minister and that he would go to polls "under the leadership of netaji [Mulayam Singh Yadav]."

Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal for the second time in two months ahead of the assembly elections scheduled next year in the state. Three other ministers close to Shivpal have also been sacked.

"Barkhaast hone ki chinta nahi hai, netaji ke netritva mein chunaav mein jaayenge (Not worried about getting sacked. Will go to polls under Mulayam's leadership)," Shivpal told reporters after his meeting with the leader of Samajwadi Party (SP) Mulayam Singh Yadav. Senior party leaders also had a meeting with Mulayam regarding the issue.

The move indicates that the 24-year-old SP might be heading for a split with the chief minister's father and leader of the party Mulayam Singh Yadav trying to promote Shivpal over his son Akhilesh.

Shivpal's dismissal was decided at a meeting convened by Akhilesh after his father set up a conclave with them on Monday, according to local media reports.

"There's no scope of truce in the party," a statement from Ram Gopal Yadav read. Ram Gopal is Mulayam's cousin who has been promoting Akhilesh as the "true and most popular leader" of the party.

Previously, the Uttar Pradesh CM had sacked his uncle Shivpal after he tried to merge the party with another one led by a former gangster in an attempt to gain the support of Muslims. Akhilesh was of the view that the opposition would lash out at them for teaming up with a gangster leader to fulfil their own political aspirations.

However, Shivpal was re-inducted into the party due to pressure from Mulayam. The leader of the SP appointed Shivpal as the chief of the party in the state, thereby replacing Akhilesh and also gave him the right to decide the candidates for the upcoming state assembly elections.

The CM has, however, tried to remain calm and has consistently said that the elders in the family have the right to give advice and feedback.

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