Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was unanimously re-elected on Thursday as the president of the Samajwadi Party (SP) for a five-year term at the SP’s national convention at Agra.
His election was announced by party General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav, who was also the election officer for the post. Ramgopal had proposed his name.
However, the party’s grand old man, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his brother, Shiv Pal Yadav, were conspicuous by their absence.
Akhilesh’s wife and MP from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav, was present at the convention.
The 44-year-old former chief minister has steadily sidelined his father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal in the party they formed 25 years ago.
It may be mentioned here that at the SP’s national convention on January 1 this year, Akhilesh displaced his father as party chief.