Yesterday, the war over the Samajwadi Party logo cycle symbol touched the shore when UP CM Akhilesh Yadav won over it and was entitled for this long prevailing party symbol. Since long, there have been quarrels among the party veteran, Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav (UP CM). Conflicts within political faction is certainly not a new thing to witness but something like this seldom happens when contradictory ideologies becomes a barricade in father-son relationship. A day after the party symbol, “cycle” was handed over to Akhilesh Yadav, the alliance news of SAPA and Congress came into picture.
Before yesterday’s announcement, Mulayam had fastened his belts to fight till death for the party symbol. He even talked about moving to court if he is denied for his own generated “cycle” symbol. Since, technically the party is one but has been divided in different dogmas, both the troops were fighting over the one symbol.
The decision was taken on the basis of majority where Akhilesh enjoyed the limelight. Out of 228 MLAs of SP 205 favoured Akhilesh. Also, he received majority from 56 MLCs out of 68, 15 out of 24 MPs and 28 out of 46 executive members of national level. 4716 out of 5731 party delegates supported the UP CM.
Today, Akhilesh affirmed that the party has closed the alliance deal with Congress. Resultantly, Sheila Dixit has withdrawn herself from the competition and has decided to support the new phase of alliance.
In these mystifying situations where two party factions are claiming for the same name, the Election Commission had these words to say, “As a logical consequence of the above finding and applying the test of majority support approved by the Supreme Court in the case of Sadiq Ali and consistently applied by the Commission thereafter in all cases of disputes in recognised political parties arising before it from time to time…the group led by Akhilesh Yadav is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol Bicycle. The Commission is satisfied that a split has arisen in the Samajwadi Party resulting in the formation of two rival groups — one, led by Akhilesh Yadav and the, other, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, each claiming to be that party, and, therefore, the matter needed to be determined by the Commission under para 15 of the Symbols Order”.
