Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav to meet EC to stake claim on SP symbol ‘cycle’

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is entangled in a bitter battle with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and his son Akhilesh Yadav, will visit Election Commission on Monday to stake a claim on party’s poll symbol ‘cycle’.
Mulayam along with brother Shivpal Yadav are scheduled to meet the EC today and stake claim over the party and the election symbol.
On January 1, the Akhilesh faction had dislodged Mulayam as the party president and designated the former Defence Minister as a “marg darshak” (mentor).
Since then, both factions of the Samajwadi Party have approached the Election Commission to claim the election symbol “cycle” ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Eralier, Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who is mentoring the Akhilesh Yadav camp, has sent sworn affidavits of some 5,761 Samajwadi Party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, to the Election Commission.
An embattled SP patriarch Mulayam on Sunday asserted he continued to be the party’s president and questioned the legality of the convention called by son Akhilesh Yadav camp which declared the UP CM as the new party chief.
Mulayam’s remarks came a day before he visits Election Commission where he is set to question the authenticity of documents submitted by Akhilesh Yadav faction yesterday claiming support of a majority of MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party delegates.