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Party fears internal sabotage by Shivpal

Last Updated 17 February 2017, 20:35 IST

As campaigning for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls ends on Friday, the SP leaders fear internal sabotage by rebels backed by Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Moreover, SP leaders close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said Shivpal was playing spoilsport by asking clerics to influence Muslims to vote for the BSP.

The uncertainity among the party workers was evident at Akhilesh’s election rally in Etawah on Thursday.

The chief minister obliquely attacked Shivpal before his home crowd, asserting that he represented the “real” SP and warned of action against those who tried to defeat him.

“These very people want to float a new party... the election here is different from what is being fought in the state. Here, efforts are on to defeat me... people of Etawah should not fall prey to any such design,” he told the gathering.

Oppn happy

The fissure within the Yadav clan has brought cheer to the Opposition parties.

Former chief minister Mayawati, at an election rally in Fatehpur, said the way
SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav insulted his brother Shivpal and his team would surely harm Akhilesh in the elections.

After filing his nomination, Akhilesh’s estranged uncle Shivpal had openly stated that he would float a new party after the poll results on March 11 and would back rebels. But, later, Mulayam had discounted that threat and said Shivpal would remain with the SP.

The SP-Congress alliance’s performance in the third phase of polling on Sunday will decide its standing in the elections.

In the previous Assembly polls, the SP had won 54 of the 69 seats, while the BJP and BSP had to settle with six each. The Congress had won two seats.

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(Published 17 February 2017, 20:35 IST)

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