Pari-war leaves Samajwadi Party cadres divided, party tries to paint picture of unity

LUCKNOW: The raging battle for control in the Samajwadi Party between father and son has left the party cadres divided and confused. Rumblings of unrest have begun to affect grassroots workers.

A block-level SP member from Barabanki said, "When Arvind Singh Gope, a minister seen siding with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, was dropped from Netaji's list of SP contenders, we began to wonder about our own fate. If our local leader is sacked, we don't know what will become of us."

While party officials are running amok, attempting to paint a of picture of unity, none inside or outside the SP is willing to believe in any concord any more.


Putting up a brave face, general secretary C P Rai said on Thursday that the Samajwadi Party remained a single unit, with Mulayam Singh Yadav as its chief.

"Mulayam remains our leader and Akhilesh Yadav our CM. The release of the lists does not signal any breakup in the party. We are all, still Samajwadis," Rai said.

Assurances notwithstanding, there is a visible divide. And, curiously, neither side is consistent in its claims.

While Akhilesh, who had originally pitched for taintfree candidates, has now included a few people with criminal records, Mulayam's list has as many as 69 such names that seemed acceptable to Akhilesh as well.

The constant back and forth, however, has left ticket aspirants nervous. They don't know who will eventually go for elections.

"It takes a lot of hard work to win assembly polls. With this uncertainty hanging over my head, it is risky to begin work just yet," a party official said. Workers and leaders alike are eager for clarity.

"At a time when you are going into elections, what you want is stability, a clear CM face who is in control, and a clear campaign strategy," said as party official.

"Instead, we are living on the edge; no clear leader, on the brink of a split, and worried whether to make our leadership preferences clear," he added.