SP national convention in Agra from tomorrow

Agra, Oct 3: Two-day national convention of Samajwadi Party here in the Taj city from Wednesday will decide whether the bickering withing SP's first family would continue or the party would focus on its substantive agenda of taking on its prime adversary - the Bharatiya Janata Party. Tomorrow on the opening day, the national executive of the party will meet while party president Akhilesh Yadav will address a press conference. SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said here on Tuesday that around 15,000 delegates from 25 states were expected to participate in the 10th SP national convention at Targhar maidan in Sadar Bazar area. Mr Chaudhary said Akhilesh Yadav was set to be elected as SP national president for the next five years. Soon after Assembly election in March, Akhilesh had revised the term of state and national chief from three years to five years. The spokesman informed that the convention would start with the hoisting of the party flag at 0900 hrs on October 5. The same day, political and economic resolutions would be tabled and strategy and preparation for 2019 Lok Sabha polls would be discussed. He said tomorrow, SP national executive would meet to finalise the agenda and thereafter Akhilesh would address the press conference at 1700 hrs. He said Akhilesh would leave for Agra from Lucknow by road in the morning tomorrow and party workers will welcome the leader on the way. However, senior party leaders are still confused over the bickering within the party and it has to be seen whether Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been invited personally by his son, attends the meeting or not. "Time is running out for SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. He has to decide who is his prime enemy, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, whom he toppled from the post of national president, his uncle Shivpal Yadav whom he pushed to the margins or Prime Minister Narendra Modi,’’ quipped a senior SP leader, who is set to stay away from the Agra convention. The issue rattling the rank and file of the SP is not the feud within the first family but the lack of concern within the first family to resolve the dispute and end the deadlock. "The feud in SP's first family is a festering wound. Akhilesh Yadav seems to be little concerned and is confident that he can steer the party to the 2019 Lok Sabha poll without setting his house in order. The intra-party feud has already caused immense damage to the party in 2017 Assembly poll and continues to erode the credibility and image of the party,' said the SP leader. UNI