Samajwadi Party

Uttar Pradesh unit chief Naresh Uttam Patel is also likely to retain his post, SP sources said. Akhilesh Yadav and Naresh Uttam were elected to the post they are holding at the SP's national convention in Agra on October 5, 2017. Earlier, Akhilesh had replaced his father Mulayam Singh Yadav as the SP national president while Naresh Uttam Patel replaced Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav at the party's emergency national convention, held on January 1, 2017, amid the Yadav family feud.

"The police commissioner has taken my name without investigation. I will file a defamation claim against the police commissioner. It was the police commissioner and not Shrikant Tyagi who took my name," said Maurya. He further alleged that since his support base had increased, the BJP was scared and this was the reason why his name was being raised again and again.

Akhilesh, while talking to reporters on Thursday evening, said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning Sonia Gandhi was "an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre to threaten the Opposition by putting pressure on it".

"I cannot face the Prime Minister, home minister and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after speaking ill against them. Also, I cannot use the language he (Rajbhar) uses." The SP chief further said that his party would contest the elections only with the parties that will stay together in the coming months.

Expressing security concerns, Azam Khan said, "I had 'Z' category security earlier. It was withdrawn by the present state government. Even a senior police officer recommended it. 'Y' category security is being offered to me at present, but it looks similar to the security cover provided to every MLA. I want my earlier security to be reinstated as I face many threats due to all the cases filed against me." Azam was released in May on bail after being lodged in Sitapur jail for almost 27 months.

In the letter issued by the SP to Shivpal Yadav, who is an SP MLA from family borough Jaswantnagar in Etawah, it is mentioned that he is "free to join any party" where he "gets more respect". The letter shot off to Om Prakash Rajbhar, states that: "Samajwadi Party is constantly fighting with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Since you have an alliance with the BJP and are constantly working to strengthen them, you are free to go if you feel you will get more respect there."

The SBSP has six MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The announcement by SBSP is a major jolt for the Samajwadi Party which is losing allies, one after another. Rajbhar said that he had taken the decision after talking to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "I have informed Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath about my decision," he added.

The UP Vidhan Parishad secretariat has derecognised Samajwadi Party's Lal Bihari Yadav as the leader of opposition in the council, as the party's strength in the council has now fallen short of ten -- the minimum for the largest opposition party to get the post.

Former chairman of the Vidhan Parishad, Sukhram Singh Yadav, has said Akhilesh Yadav should do introspection of the defeat in Azamgarh and Rampur seats. He said that Akhilesh should also maintain balance in the family. He supported the statement of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar,

"Akhilesh Yadav needs to do some serious rethinking about his party. He needs to move out of the air-conditioned comfort of his home and office and should connect directly with the people," said Om Prakash Rajbhar, president of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP). He said that politics was now a 24x7 job and it would be better if Akhilesh realized this.