Akhilesh could have retained his CM post if Netaji continued as SP president: Shivpal

Azamgarh, Jul 28:  Rebel Samajwadi Party MLA and former Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav today once again slammed his nephew and party president Akhilesh Yadav for sacking Mulayam Singh Yadav as the party chief in January this year. "Had Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) continued as the president of the party, no one could have defeated the SP in the assembly polls and Akhilesh Yadav would have continued as Chief Minister," he claimed. Talking to reporters here, Mr Yadav said, "Netaji has all the control over the party now too and till he is made the chief of the party no one can bring unity in the party or in the family." Announcing that he along with Netaji would take a big political decision very soon, the SP MLA from Jaswantnagar in Etawah district, said several senior party leaders are in touch with him and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav. Azamgarh is the parliamentary constituency of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav had earlier announced to float a Samajwadi Secular Front this month but now it has been deferred till October. However, Mr Akhilesh Yadav has too called for a national convention in Lucknow in the last week of September to ratify his presidentship. Asked about the CAG report alleging irregularities in the state PWD department in awarding the road construction tenders, Mr Shivpal Yadav said there were no irregularities during his tenure as the minister. "The previous BSP government had also probed but they found nothing against me during my tenure as PWD minister when Mulayam Singh Yadav was the CM during 2003-07. UNI