#Chunav Manch: Shivpal Yadav says, he is back again as UP state party chief

Lucknow:Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav today said that his resignation from the state party chief post has been rejected by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, and he now continues to be the state party chief.

Replying to questions at the India TV Conclave "Chunav Manch" here, Shivpal Singh Yadav was pointedly asked whether he continued to be the state party chief. The senior SP leader replied that his resignation has been "rejected". "For me, Netaji's (party supremo's) indication itself is an order..Akhilesh has also said so, so where is the feud anymore?"

(Woh (resignation) asweekar ho gaya hai. Maine jab kah diya hai ki netaji ka sanket hi mere liye aadesh hai, Akhilesh ne bhi keh diya hai, toh phir jhagda kahaan bachaa?)

The senior party leader was however evasive and not forthcoming over his resignation from the state government.

He said: "Look, I have resigned only recently. I have got a bigger responsibility. Elections are nearer, and I have to work for the polls. Whoever looks after the portfolios..I had only one portfolio left, so I said, why this single portfolio. I will work for the party. Today I even told my workers who had come, that we will not allow the party to be weakened at any cost. We will form a government with a bigger majority in 2017."

Shivpal Yadav however countered chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's assertion made earlier in the day that the "role of outsiders would not be tolerated."

"He (Mulayam) said about 'beech waale'(people who come in). 'Beech waale' come with me and sit, they also go and sit with him. There are many such 'beech waale' who are cabinet ministers but do not do any work. I have a longer experience with Netaji, I was with Netaji since the age of 15. Everybody can't be the same. Everybody can't become Akhilesh or Netaji or for that matter, Shivpal. Akhilesh has got the biggest post in UP, the biggest responsibility, but he has still to learn a lot."

Asked why chief minister Akhilesh Yadav took away his portfolios if he thought his performance was better, Shivpal Yadav replied: "Look, everybody accepts that I have performed better. He (Akhilesh) wanted all districts to be connected with four-lane roads. I got 50 districts connected with four-lane roads in the last three years. Whether state highways, or ODRs (other district roads) or MDRs (major district roads), you won't find a single pothole, all roads are pothole-free. As far as taking away portfolios is concerned, it's the chief minister's prerogative."

Asked whether the "problem" in the family was Amar Singh, Shivpal Yadav replied: "I don't think so, and it should not be so. Akhilesh needs cooperation from all. Everybody has a darker side, a brighter side too. We learnt this from Netaji (Mulayam). Even Akhilesh has people closer to him, I have people closer to me, even Netaji has people closer to him. So 'outsiders' are always there with everybody. One should apply one's wit."