The Election Commission has denied Samajwadi Party's "cycle" symbol to its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav by declaring his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as the rightful owner of the party symbol ahead of the state assembly elections next month.
The Samajwadi Party ran into choppy seas after differences erupted between Mulayam Singh Yadav's camp-consisting of his brother Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh-who is backed by his uncle Ram Gopal Yadav. Both camps have raised the matter of solving the party symbol ownership issue with the Election Commission after they failed to resolve the differences.
[READ: Samajwadi Party dispute: Election Commission reserves order on cycle symbol]
The EC on Monday ruled in favour of Akhilesh Yadav as he has the support of the majority of legislators. The EC on Friday reserved its order on the ownership of the party symbol after hours of deliberation with party leaders from the two rival camps.
Representing Akhilesh's camp, Ram Gopal submitted affidavits of MLAs, MPs and MLCs to prove their allegiance to the CM during the hearing at the EC's office in Delhi last week.
With party members and legislators backing him, Akhilesh pushed his father Mulayam, 77, away on New Year day by taking up the post of Samajwadi Party president through a convention. Mulayam, who was hitherto holding the post, was made the mentor of the party but was left disgruntled.
UP will go to the polls in March and nominations for the first phase will start on January 17. Elections will be held in seven phases starting February 11 and counting will be done on March 11.
