Amid battle for bicycle symbol, Ram Gopal says faction led by Akhilesh Yadav is real Samajwadi Party.
Asserting claim over the cycle symbol, Ram Gopal Yadav said that the faction of the party led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was the real Samajwadi Party.
"The party under leadership of Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi party, and should be seen so. Cycle symbol must be allotted to us," Ram Gopal told ANI on Friday.
"The Election Commission asked us to submit affidavits by January 9th of the documents. We will submit affidavit of MLAs,MLCs,MPs between 3-4pm today. Out of 229 MLAs, 212 signed affidavit. 56 out of 68 MLCs, 15 out of 24 MPs have signed the affidavit. We will submit to EC today."
The remarks come after Shivpal Yadav met with Akhilesh at the Chief Minister's bungalow on Friday morning. Following this, there was a meeting at Mulayam Singh's residence at which Shivpal and Amar Singh were present.
In the 404-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, SP has 229 MLAs. The EC asked both factions to show a strength of the MLAs, MPs and MLCs supporting them through signed affidavits by January 9. In Lucknow, on Thursday morning, Akhilesh, called a meeting of MLAs and MLCs at his official residence. The meeting was attended by 214 MLAs, including some who were till now in the rival camp. Even senior minister Azam Khan, who was trying his best to broker peace between the father and the son, turned up at the CM's residence to muster support for him.
On Thursday, Mulayam arrived in Delhi to furnish details to the EC as to why his faction should retain the 'cycle' symbol. Mulayam’s aides insist that they have many signed affidavits of MLAs, MLCs and MPs which they would furnish to the EC. But they didn’t disclose the number of signed affidavits.
Aides of Akhilesh are still hoping for a reconciliation between him and his father.
With ANI inputs.
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