Akhilesh Yadav denies rift within Samajwadi Party

​Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday sought to dispel speculations of a rift within the ruling Samajwadi Party, saying there could be problems in the government but not the family.

Addressing the media, Akhilesh said, "This is a tussle in the government, not the family."

He said he has taken "only some" of the decisions while most decisions are taken "after consulting Netaji" -- as his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is popularly known and called.

"There is no fight in the family. How will the party function if outsiders keep interfering?" he said.

His statement came a day after the state politics saw high drama with Akhilesh removed as the state party chief and replaced by his uncle Shivpal Yadav. The Chief Minister, in turn, divested Shivpal of plum portfolios in the state cabinet.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister met close aides and confidants, even as uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav flew off to Delhi to meet party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Akhilesh has also cancelled all official engagements and was meeting with close aides and party confidantes.

The entire episode was triggered after Akhilesh sacked two ministers -- Gayatri Prajapati (Mining) and Rajkishore Singh (Panchayti Raj)-- considered close to Mulayam and Shivpal on Monday.

Akhilesh had also removed Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal, who was also known to be close to Shivpal Yadav, on Tuesday.