Akhilesh Yadav has sacked uncle Shivpal Yadav as a minister, who in turn announced the expulsion of brother Ram Gopal Yadav, an Akhilesh loyalist, from the Samajwadi Party, dramatically escalating the family drama that has enveloped the First Family of the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh just before the state votes.
The 43-year-old Chief Minister's exercise of authority is a direct retort to his father, Mulayam, who leads the Samajawadi Party and has been promoting Shivpal over his son.
Along with Shivpal, 61, three other ministers close to him have also been benched.
The move today bolsters talk of the 24-year-old Samajawadi Party being positioned for a split, with Akhilesh and Mulayam as rival leaders, just ahead of assembly elections to be held early next year.
"Mulayam Yadav is my father. I'll serve him all my life. I don't want to split the party and will participate in the party's 25th anniversary celebrations on November 5," Akhilesh said today.
Later, Shivpal Yadav attributed his sacking to a long-standing conspiracy where the BJP has a role to play. "People from our side met the BJP three times... to avoid the CBI... They just went ahead and levelled accusations. The Chief Minister is not understanding this," he said.
"Those opposing Akhilesh will not see the face of the Vidhan Sabha. Where there is Akhilesh, there is victory," said a statement from Ram Gopal Yadav, who is a cousin of Mulayam's but has been championing Akhilesh as the "true and most popular leader" of the party.
Last month, Shivpal Yadav was dismissed as minister after he tried to force a merger of the party with a political outfit headed by former gangster Muqtar Ansari. Akhilesh refused entry to the new party, but was forced into submission by his father.
Shivpal calculated that the new affiliation would boost the Samajwadi Party's standing among Muslims. Akhilesh was convinced it would allow the opposition to accuse the party of teaming with a nefarious leader for political gain.
As a result of the conflict, Shivpal's place in the food chain of the Samajwadi Party was made clear by Mulayam: he returned to the cabinet and replaced Akhilesh as chief of the party in the state which gave him large agency in deciding the candidates for the approaching election.
Today's removal of Shivpal was decided at a meeting of the party's legislators called hurriedly by Akhilesh after his father set up a conclave with them tomorrow.
Akhilesh has on different occasions been rebuked by his father for inefficient administration. The Chief Minister in public has kept his trademark cool by stating that "elders in the family have a right to counsel and give feedback".
All through Akhilesh's tenure as chief minister, his father has also called the shots on the appointment of ministers and top officials in the UP government. Desperate to improve the image of his government ahead of seeking re-election, the chief minister last month removed the state government's top bureaucrat and also two ministers who face allegations of corruptions, setting up renewed confrontation with his father and uncle.
In the compromise that Mulayam Singh had enforced, Akhilesh had to take back in his government not only uncle Shivpal, but also Gayatari Prajapati, a controversial minister close to his father.
The 43-year-old Chief Minister's exercise of authority is a direct retort to his father, Mulayam, who leads the Samajawadi Party and has been promoting Shivpal over his son.
Along with Shivpal, 61, three other ministers close to him have also been benched.
The move today bolsters talk of the 24-year-old Samajawadi Party being positioned for a split, with Akhilesh and Mulayam as rival leaders, just ahead of assembly elections to be held early next year.
"Mulayam Yadav is my father. I'll serve him all my life. I don't want to split the party and will participate in the party's 25th anniversary celebrations on November 5," Akhilesh said today.
Later, Shivpal Yadav attributed his sacking to a long-standing conspiracy where the BJP has a role to play. "People from our side met the BJP three times... to avoid the CBI... They just went ahead and levelled accusations. The Chief Minister is not understanding this," he said.
"Those opposing Akhilesh will not see the face of the Vidhan Sabha. Where there is Akhilesh, there is victory," said a statement from Ram Gopal Yadav, who is a cousin of Mulayam's but has been championing Akhilesh as the "true and most popular leader" of the party.
Last month, Shivpal Yadav was dismissed as minister after he tried to force a merger of the party with a political outfit headed by former gangster Muqtar Ansari. Akhilesh refused entry to the new party, but was forced into submission by his father.
Shivpal calculated that the new affiliation would boost the Samajwadi Party's standing among Muslims. Akhilesh was convinced it would allow the opposition to accuse the party of teaming with a nefarious leader for political gain.
As a result of the conflict, Shivpal's place in the food chain of the Samajwadi Party was made clear by Mulayam: he returned to the cabinet and replaced Akhilesh as chief of the party in the state which gave him large agency in deciding the candidates for the approaching election.
Today's removal of Shivpal was decided at a meeting of the party's legislators called hurriedly by Akhilesh after his father set up a conclave with them tomorrow.
Akhilesh has on different occasions been rebuked by his father for inefficient administration. The Chief Minister in public has kept his trademark cool by stating that "elders in the family have a right to counsel and give feedback".
All through Akhilesh's tenure as chief minister, his father has also called the shots on the appointment of ministers and top officials in the UP government. Desperate to improve the image of his government ahead of seeking re-election, the chief minister last month removed the state government's top bureaucrat and also two ministers who face allegations of corruptions, setting up renewed confrontation with his father and uncle.
In the compromise that Mulayam Singh had enforced, Akhilesh had to take back in his government not only uncle Shivpal, but also Gayatari Prajapati, a controversial minister close to his father.