NEW DELHI // The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh tried to seize control of its ruling party from his father on Sunday, as a family feud for political power continues to play out in public view.
The bid by Akhilesh Yadav, 43, to take over the Samajwadi Party in India’s most populous state comes at the end of a turbulent 48 hours.
On Friday he was expelled from the party but taken back into the fold the following day by his father and mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Mulayam, a 77-year-old former wrestler, previously served three terms as the state’s chief minister.
Akhilesh, along with his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, has been locked in a dispute with Mulayam and another uncle, Shivpal Yadav.
The two factions are vying for control of the party before crucial state polls expected around February.
At a special party meeting in the state capital Lucknow, Ram Gopal announced Akhilesh’s appointment as the party’s new national president.
But Mulayam in a statement to the media declared the meeting “unconstitutional” and warned everyone against attending it.
Observers in New Delhi expect more competing announcements from the different factions over the next few days.
Uttar Pradesh, with a population of more than 200 million, is seen as a critical political player. It sends the biggest single bloc of MPs to the 545-seat national parliament.
In 2012 Akhilesh became the youngest chief minister thanks to his soaring popularity with younger voters, who elected him on promises of more jobs and a greater share in India’s economic growth.
* Agence France-Presse
