Shivpal Yadav resigns from UP cabinet after meeting Akhilesh

The resignation of Shivpal indicates that the meeting failed to sort out the differences between him and Akhilesh.

However, according to a report by The Times of India, Akhilesh has refused to accept the resignation.

Shivpal reportedly met his nephew for about 20 minutes on Thursday evening in an attempt to end the feud withing the party just five months before the assembly elections in the state.

Earlier in the day, Shivpal said that he will not challenge Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to strip him of key ministerial portfolios since this is the CM's "prerogative."

“Allocation of portfolios is a chief minister’s prerogative, won’t challenge his decision,” media reports quoted Shivpal as saying at a press briefing.

He said,  “Everybody in the party cannot have the same ideology.”

Replying a question whether Akhilesh Yadav will be the party's CM face for the upcoming Assembly elections, Shivpal said he will abide by whatever party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav decides.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav stripped Shivpal, his uncle,  of important ministerial portfolios, hours after Mulayam Singh replaced Akhilesh with Shivpal as the party's UP chief.

The development is being seen as a feud within the Yadav family that threatens the party before the elections.

Earlier, in the day, Samajwadi Party leader and Mulayam Singh's another brother Ramgopa Yadav said the party leadership made a 'mistake' by removing Akhilesh Yadav as  UP President, and the differences that cropped up were the result of some "misunderstanding."

According to media reports, Ramgopal, SP national general secretary and Mulayam Singh's another brother, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who on Tuesday had divested his  uncle and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios, hours after Mulayam replaced him with Shivpal as the party's state unit chief.

"Differences do take place on some minor point and they can be resolved.... The leadership, though not deliberately, had made a mistake when CM was removed from the post of (state) president (of SP)," Ramgopal was quoted as saying.

"He (CM) should have been asked to resign and he would have tendered it. He could have been told that elections are coming and you continue as CM and the work of state president will be taken care of by him (Shivpal). Some misunderstanding has taken place and there is nothing more to it," he said.

Asserting that there is s "no crisis" in Samajwadi Party, Ramgopal said, "Many times some decisions are made due to which people feel that there is some problem in the party. There is nothing like that. This happens in all parties in different situations."

He also scoffed at  rumours that Mulayam has called a meet of the party’s parliamentary board.