It can be Mulayam or Akhilesh as UP CM: Ramgopal Yadav

ETAWAH/ LUCKNOW: Suspense mounted on the issue of chief ministership in Uttar Pradesh with a senior Samajwadi Party leader today saying that it has been left to Mulayam Singh Yadav to take a call on whether he will take on the mantle or entrust the task to his son.

"The party has decided to authorise 'Netaji' (Mulayam). If he wants, he can become the chief minister or if he wants then Akhilesh can become the CM. But there will be no third person," Ramgopal Yadav told reporters here.

He was replying to a question as to who would head the government in UP, where the SP has got a clear majority of 224 seats in the 403-member assembly.

Mulayam and Akhilesh had on Wednesday met Governor B L Joshi and staked claim to form the government.

At the SP parliamentary board meeting yesterday, a majority of members pitched for Akhilesh, who is the SP state president, as the next Chief Minister. However, they had left a final decision on this to Mulayam.

A meeting of the newly-elected SP legislators will be held on March 10 to decide on the new chief Minister.

On his part, Akhilesh has maintained that his father will be the new CM.

Earlier, Mulayam asked his supporters to refrain from 'goondaism', warning them that such acts would not be tolerated at any cost.