Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor on Saturday expressed condolences on the death of former Samajwadi Party leader<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/rajya-sabha-member-amar-singh-passes-away-in-singapore-317495http://13.235.153.162/india-news/rajya-sabha-member-amar-singh-passes-away-in-singapore-317495"> Amar Singh</a> and said he was a 'doston ka dost'. 
 
The 63-year-old actor took to Twitter to pay his respect to the late politician. The 'Malang'&nbsp;actor recalled of him being someone who "passionately loved films and its music."

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Amar Singh ji was a doston ka dost, always there when you needed him and passionately loved films and it’s music...he will be truly missed...may he rest in peace. 
My heartfelt prayers &amp; condolences to the family. 🙏🏻
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnilKapoor/status/1289555219408277504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Amar Singh ji was a doston ka dost, always there when you needed him and passionately loved films and it`s music...he will be truly missed...may he rest in peace. My heartfelt prayers &amp; condolences to the family," he wrote on Twitter. 
 
Singh, who was a Rajya Sabha MP, was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore for several months. He was 64.

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor on Saturday expressed condolences on the death of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and said he was a 'doston ka dost'. The 63-year-old actor took to Twitter to pay his respect to the late politician.

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor on Saturday expressed condolences on the death of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and said he was a 'doston ka dost'. The 63-year-old actor took to Twitter to pay his respect to the late politician. The 'Malang' actor recalled of him being someone who "passionately loved films and its music." Amar Singh ji was a doston ka dost, always there when you needed him and passionately loved films and it’s music...he will be truly missed...may he rest in peace. My heartfelt prayers & condolences to the family. 🙏🏻 — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) August 1, 2020 × "Amar Singh ji was a doston ka dost, always there when you needed him and passionately loved films and it`s music...he will be truly missed...may he rest in peace. My heartfelt prayers & condolences to the family," he wrote on Twitter. Singh, who was a Rajya Sabha MP, was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore for several months. He was 64.

Anil Kapoor condoles demise of Amar Singh, says he was 'doston ka dost'

Former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh passed away in a hospital in Singapore on Saturday. He was 64. Singh had gone to Singapore in March for surgery in a kidney-related illness.

Former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh passed away in a hospital in Singapore on Saturday. He was 64. Singh had gone to Singapore in March for surgery in a kidney-related illness. Singh, 64, had undergone kidney transplant in 2011 and was not keeping well for a long time. "Saddened to know about the death of senior leader and parliamentarian Amar Singh," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. Earlier in the day, the former Samajwadi leader had posted messages on Twitter, paying tributes to Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his 100th death anniversary and also wishing people on Eid. Singh, a former general secretary of the Samajwadi Party (SP), was once very close to party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. However, in 2010 there was a fallout and Singh resigned from all party posts and was soon expelled.

Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh passes away in Singapore

Veteran actor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaya-prada-says-azam-khan-reminds-her-of-padmaavats-khilji-35299">Jaya Prada</a> has joined the BJP.

The announcement was made in Delhi.&nbsp;The news agency PTI meanwhile reported that the BJP is expected to field Jaya Prada from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur constituency.&nbsp;

Jaya Prada has won twice from Rampur, but on a Samajwadi Party ticket.&nbsp;

Jaya Prada was a close associate of the former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh.&nbsp;

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Delhi: Veteran actor and former MP Jaya Prada joins Bharatiya Janata Party. <a href="https://t.co/vmZD3H1PSL">pic.twitter.com/vmZD3H1PSL</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1110447108933459968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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If fielded from Rampur, Jaya Prada will take on senior SP leader Azam Khan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Veteran actor Jaya Prada has joined the BJP. The announcement was made in Delhi. The news agency PTI meanwhile reported that the BJP is expected to field Jaya Prada from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur constituency.

Veteran actor Jaya Prada has joined the BJP. The announcement was made in Delhi. The news agency PTI meanwhile reported that the BJP is expected to field Jaya Prada from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur constituency. Jaya Prada has won twice from Rampur, but on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Jaya Prada was a close associate of the former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh. Delhi: Veteran actor and former MP Jaya Prada joins Bharatiya Janata Party. pic.twitter.com/vmZD3H1PSL — ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2019 × If fielded from Rampur, Jaya Prada will take on senior SP leader Azam Khan. (With inputs from PTI)

Veteran actor, former MP Jaya Prada joins the BJP

Malaysian police said Friday they found cash amounting to almost $30 million in a raid on a luxury apartment as they probed corruption allegations swirling around ousted leader Najib Razak.

The money was seized along with 284 boxes containing designer handbags, as well as watches and jewellery from a condominium in Kuala Lumpur, which was raided along with Najib's home and other sites last week.

Najib's coalition was thrown out of power for the first time in over six decades in the May 9 poll, defeated by a reformist alliance headed by his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

Public disgust at allegations of corruption swirling around Najib was a major factor for the loss, with the ex-leader, his family and cronies accused of looting billions of dollars from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

There has been much speculation about what the seized goods consisted of and their value after five trucks were reportedly brought in to help move the vast stash.

Giving an update, the police's head of commercial crime Amar Singh said: "From the money found, there were 26 currencies, the total amount as of yesterday is 114 million (ringgit) ($28.6 million)."

The money was found in 35 bags while another 37 bags contained watches and jewellery, he told a press conference. The value of other items will be calculated later, he said.

The seizure of the luxury goods added to the public scorn of Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, long reviled by Malaysians for her perceived haughty demeanour and reported vast collection of designer bags, clothing and jewellery.

Her love of overseas shopping trips, as middle-class Malaysians struggle with rising living costs, added to a sense of spreading, deeply-entrenched rot in the country's long-ruling elite.

The couple's fall from grace has been swift and hard.&nbsp

They have been barred from leaving the country and the ex-premier has been questioned by anti-graft investigators over claims 1MDB money ended up in his bank accounts, and looks likely to be charged.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

The money was seized along with 284 boxes containing designer handbags, as well as watches and jewellery from a condominium in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian police said Friday they found cash amounting to almost $30 million in a raid on a luxury apartment as they probed corruption allegations swirling around ousted leader Najib Razak. The money was seized along with 284 boxes containing designer handbags, as well as watches and jewellery from a condominium in Kuala Lumpur, which was raided along with Najib's home and other sites last week. Najib's coalition was thrown out of power for the first time in over six decades in the May 9 poll, defeated by a reformist alliance headed by his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad. Public disgust at allegations of corruption swirling around Najib was a major factor for the loss, with the ex-leader, his family and cronies accused of looting billions of dollars from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. There has been much speculation about what the seized goods consisted of and their value after five trucks were reportedly brought in to help move the vast stash. Giving an update, the police's head of commercial crime Amar Singh said: "From the money found, there were 26 currencies, the total amount as of yesterday is 114 million (ringgit) ($28.6 million)." The money was found in 35 bags while another 37 bags contained watches and jewellery, he told a press conference. The value of other items will be calculated later, he said. The seizure of the luxury goods added to the public scorn of Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, long reviled by Malaysians for her perceived haughty demeanour and reported vast collection of designer bags, clothing and jewellery. Her love of overseas shopping trips, as middle-class Malaysians struggle with rising living costs, added to a sense of spreading, deeply-entrenched rot in the country's long-ruling elite. The couple's fall from grace has been swift and hard. They have been barred from leaving the country and the ex-premier has been questioned by anti-graft investigators over claims 1MDB money ended up in his bank accounts, and looks likely to be charged. Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Almost $30 million seized in raids linked to Malaysian ex-PM Najib Razak

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh lashed out at Mani Shankar Aiyar for his &quot;neech&quot; comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Amar Singh said that Aiyar has insulted several politicians in the past including&nbsp;former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha and Union Minister Uma Bharti.

&quot;In this country, many people have been troubled by Mani Shankar Aiyar. Aiyar has insulted many influential people like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. I too have had a sour experience with him,&quot; said Amar Singh.

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Iss desh ke anek neta Mani peedit hain, iss mein Uma Bharti ji, late Jayalalithaa ji aur tamaam bade bade naam hain. Mai swayam bhi Mani peedit hoon: Amar Singh on Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s remark about PM Modi yesterday <a href="https://t.co/rkDVMvEpmk">pic.twitter.com/rkDVMvEpmk</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938961628044804096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Singh also recalled a similar incident between him and Aiyar.

Amar Singh also recalled a tiff between him and Aiyar saying, &quot;Once there was dinner at Satish Gujral&#39;s house, after consuming alcohol he was saying such things that I had a historical argument with him.&quot;

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Gujral saab (Satish Gujral, brother of former PM IK Gujral) ke niwaas par ek bhoj tha; madhyapaan karke, nashe mein choor madmast aadhe ghante itni kroor baatein wo kar rahe the ki humari aur unki ek etihaisik jhadap hui: Amar Singh on Mani Shankar Aiyar <a href="https://t.co/4Npg8XZg5d">pic.twitter.com/4Npg8XZg5d</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938961820454305793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Later he gave him a befitting reply, &quot;The tiff between me and Aiyar became famous across the country,&quot; he added.

On Thursday Aiyar&#39;s&nbsp;raised a controversy by his choice of words as he referred Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a &quot;neech aadmi.&quot;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neech-remark-row-bjp-should-improve-their-language-says-surjewala-26173">&#39;Neech&#39; remark row: BJP should improve their language, says Surjewala</a>

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neech-row-both-congress-and-i-want-mani-shankar-aiyar-to-apologise-says-rahul-gandhi-26147"> &#39;Neech&#39; row: I can reply to PM in his language, says Mani Shankar Aiyar</a>

But later, Aiyar&nbsp;clarified that it was unintentional&nbsp;and happened due to his poor understanding of Hindi Language.&nbsp;

Mani Shankar has now been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-neech-jibe-on-pm-modi-congress-suspends-mani-shankar-aiyar-26159">suspended</a> from the primary membership of the party and also issues a show cause notice by Congress.

 
&nbsp;

On Thursday Aiyar's?raised a controversy by his choice of words as he referred Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'neech aadmi'

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh lashed out at Mani Shankar Aiyar for his "neech" comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Amar Singh said that Aiyar has insulted several politicians in the past including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha and Union Minister Uma Bharti. "In this country, many people have been troubled by Mani Shankar Aiyar. Aiyar has insulted many influential people like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. I too have had a sour experience with him," said Amar Singh. Iss desh ke anek neta Mani peedit hain, iss mein Uma Bharti ji, late Jayalalithaa ji aur tamaam bade bade naam hain. Mai swayam bhi Mani peedit hoon: Amar Singh on Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark about PM Modi yesterday pic.twitter.com/rkDVMvEpmk — ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017 × Singh also recalled a similar incident between him and Aiyar. Amar Singh also recalled a tiff between him and Aiyar saying, "Once there was dinner at Satish Gujral's house, after consuming alcohol he was saying such things that I had a historical argument with him." Gujral saab (Satish Gujral, brother of former PM IK Gujral) ke niwaas par ek bhoj tha; madhyapaan karke, nashe mein choor madmast aadhe ghante itni kroor baatein wo kar rahe the ki humari aur unki ek etihaisik jhadap hui: Amar Singh on Mani Shankar Aiyar pic.twitter.com/4Npg8XZg5d — ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017 × Later he gave him a befitting reply, "The tiff between me and Aiyar became famous across the country," he added. On Thursday Aiyar's raised a controversy by his choice of words as he referred Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "neech aadmi." Also read: 'Neech' remark row: BJP should improve their language, says Surjewala Also read: 'Neech' row: I can reply to PM in his language, says Mani Shankar Aiyar But later, Aiyar clarified that it was unintentional and happened due to his poor understanding of Hindi Language. Mani Shankar has now been suspended from the primary membership of the party and also issues a show cause notice by Congress.

Amar Singh calls Aiyar 'habitual offender'

By Anuradha Mukherjee

The family bickering in the&nbsp;ruling&nbsp;Samajwadi Party (SP)&nbsp;has put a spanner&nbsp;in the plans to form a coalition with the Congress party&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rashtriya&nbsp;Lok Dal&nbsp;in&nbsp;India&#39;s&nbsp;Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;(UP)&nbsp;for the&nbsp;state&nbsp;assembly polls.&nbsp;Those&nbsp;in the know, however, say it&nbsp;all depends on the&nbsp;Election Commission&#39;s verdict on whether it&#39;s advantage&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;Yadav, current chief minister of UP, or the wily trio&nbsp;of his father,&nbsp;Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncle&nbsp;Shivpal&nbsp;Yadav and party leader Amar Singh.&nbsp;

&quot;The internal fight in SP needs to be sorted out&nbsp;first&nbsp;before talk about the two parties coming together can be&nbsp;formalised. Everybody in SP and Congress can see the truth&nbsp;--&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;Yadav is the winning candidate&nbsp;-- except for&nbsp;his father&nbsp;Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh (SP leader) and&nbsp;Akhilesh&#39;s&nbsp;uncle,&nbsp;Shivpal&nbsp;Yadav,&quot; said a&nbsp;Congress politician, who did not want to be named.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hoardings with photographs of&nbsp;Akhilesh&#39;s&nbsp;wife, Dimple Yadav, and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s sister, Priyanka Gandhi&nbsp;Vadra, have come&nbsp;up&nbsp;in some parts of the state, stoking hopes of the coalition.&nbsp;

Mulayam Singh Yadav&nbsp;founded SP and was its&nbsp;president&nbsp;before his authority was challenged and virtually upended by his son,&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;Yadav, the current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP)&nbsp;in a&nbsp;bitter&nbsp;family&nbsp;rivalry that is threatening to split the party in the middle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Akhilesh&nbsp;has&nbsp;claimed majority support&nbsp;among&nbsp;SP&nbsp;legislators and has staked claim to the party&nbsp;chief&#39;s position and election symbol, the bicycle, failing which he is expected to float his own party.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;Ajit&nbsp;Singh&#39;s&nbsp;Rashtriya&nbsp;Lok Dal&nbsp;is also with us &ndash; so we are assured of about 20 per cent of the votes&nbsp;from&nbsp;the rural&nbsp;Jat&nbsp;community that forms&nbsp;his&nbsp;voter base,&quot; the&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;politician added.&nbsp;Singh is an influential politician in western UP that is often referred to as the&nbsp;Jat&nbsp;belt&nbsp;due to the dominant presence of the largely agrarian community.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Discussions about a secular joint front to contain&nbsp;the&nbsp;Bharatiya&nbsp;Janata Party&#39;s ambitions of forming a government in the state have been on for a while at the &quot;highest levels in SP and Congress&quot;&nbsp;with reports of a joint campaign being launched by&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;Priyanka Gandhi&nbsp;Vadra, along with&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;and&nbsp;Dimple, doing the rounds for a couple of months.&nbsp;

The group led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, is&nbsp;perceived&nbsp;to be more inclined to the BJP and averse to an open arrangement with the Congress.&nbsp;

&quot;Right now our main focus is on maintaining a united front as far as the party is&nbsp;concerned,&quot; said&nbsp;a Samajwadi Party (SP) functionary considered close to&nbsp;Mulayam Singh Yadav, refusing to comment on any truck with the Congress.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both groups are now waiting for the EC&#39;s decision on the party&#39;s election symbol.&nbsp;

&quot;Akhilesh&nbsp;may not get the bicycle symbol as it is contested. He may not even get the &#39;motorcycle&#39; symbol as it is already&nbsp;allotted&nbsp;to a party from south India.&nbsp;But this will not be a setback for&nbsp;him,&quot; said&nbsp;the Congress politician.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mulayam Singh Yadav and&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;Yadav&nbsp;had&nbsp;both declared their versions of the party&#39;s list of candidates&nbsp;for the 403-seat UP assembly. Both groups have taken the fight to India&#39;s Election Commission that will give a ruling on the party symbol and leadership&nbsp;soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Congress party&#39;s political fortune had been flagging of late and it&nbsp;has been hopeful of a coalition with SP&nbsp;that&nbsp;is in power in&nbsp;UP,&nbsp;India&#39;s most populous&nbsp;state,&nbsp;that&nbsp;is&nbsp;considered key to dominating the national&nbsp;Parliament.&nbsp;

Although a regional election,&nbsp;UP is crucial even for national players like the BJP and Congress&nbsp;as the number of constituencies&nbsp;any party rules in&nbsp;the state,&nbsp;home to 204&nbsp;million, has a bearing on the number of seats&nbsp;allotted&nbsp;to it at least in the Upper House of Indian Parliament or the&nbsp;Rajya&nbsp;Sabha.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;BJP&nbsp;notched up 71 out of 80 Lok Sabha, or Lower House seats, in the Indian national elections held in 2014 &ndash; giving it an&nbsp;undeniable edge in the upcoming polls.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Bahujan&nbsp;Samaj&nbsp;Party (BSP) led by former chief minister&nbsp;Mayawati&nbsp;also remains a crucial factor. Before the emergence of the BJP in the 2014 elections, the BSP &nbsp;was&nbsp;considered the only option to SP in Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

&quot;If the coalition comes through &ndash; we can contain&nbsp;Mayawati&nbsp;to 60-70 seats,&quot; hoped the Congress man.&nbsp;

(WION)

The election commission is expected to soon deliver its verdict on who the Samajwadi Party president is, and who gets its symbol

By Anuradha Mukherjee The family bickering in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) has put a spanner in the plans to form a coalition with the Congress party and Rashtriya Lok Dal in India's Uttar Pradesh (UP) for the state assembly polls. Those in the know, however, say it all depends on the Election Commission's verdict on whether it's advantage Akhilesh Yadav, current chief minister of UP, or the wily trio of his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, uncle Shivpal Yadav and party leader Amar Singh. "The internal fight in SP needs to be sorted out first before talk about the two parties coming together can be formalised. Everybody in SP and Congress can see the truth -- Akhilesh Yadav is the winning candidate -- except for his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh (SP leader) and Akhilesh's uncle, Shivpal Yadav," said a Congress politician, who did not want to be named. Hoardings with photographs of Akhilesh's wife, Dimple Yadav, and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have come up in some parts of the state, stoking hopes of the coalition. Mulayam Singh Yadav founded SP and was its president before his authority was challenged and virtually upended by his son, Akhilesh Yadav, the current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in a bitter family rivalry that is threatening to split the party in the middle. Akhilesh has claimed majority support among SP legislators and has staked claim to the party chief's position and election symbol, the bicycle, failing which he is expected to float his own party. "Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal is also with us – so we are assured of about 20 per cent of the votes from the rural Jat community that forms his voter base," the Congress politician added. Singh is an influential politician in western UP that is often referred to as the Jat belt due to the dominant presence of the largely agrarian community. Discussions about a secular joint front to contain the Bharatiya Janata Party's ambitions of forming a government in the state have been on for a while at the "highest levels in SP and Congress" with reports of a joint campaign being launched by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with Akhilesh and Dimple, doing the rounds for a couple of months. The group led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, is perceived to be more inclined to the BJP and averse to an open arrangement with the Congress. "Right now our main focus is on maintaining a united front as far as the party is concerned," said a Samajwadi Party (SP) functionary considered close to Mulayam Singh Yadav, refusing to comment on any truck with the Congress. Both groups are now waiting for the EC's decision on the party's election symbol. "Akhilesh may not get the bicycle symbol as it is contested. He may not even get the 'motorcycle' symbol as it is already allotted to a party from south India. But this will not be a setback for him," said the Congress politician. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav had both declared their versions of the party's list of candidates for the 403-seat UP assembly. Both groups have taken the fight to India's Election Commission that will give a ruling on the party symbol and leadership soon. The Congress party's political fortune had been flagging of late and it has been hopeful of a coalition with SP that is in power in UP, India's most populous state, that is considered key to dominating the national Parliament. Although a regional election, UP is crucial even for national players like the BJP and Congress as the number of constituencies any party rules in the state, home to 204 million, has a bearing on the number of seats allotted to it at least in the Upper House of Indian Parliament or the Rajya Sabha. The BJP notched up 71 out of 80 Lok Sabha, or Lower House seats, in the Indian national elections held in 2014 – giving it an undeniable edge in the upcoming polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by former chief minister Mayawati also remains a crucial factor. Before the emergence of the BJP in the 2014 elections, the BSP was considered the only option to SP in Uttar Pradesh. "If the coalition comes through – we can contain Mayawati to 60-70 seats," hoped the Congress man. (WION)

UP elections: Poll alliances will come after EC verdict on SP leadership, symbol

Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has fired his uncle&nbsp;Shivpal Yadav, and four other ministers&nbsp;from the state cabinet.

Earlier&nbsp;in the day, Yadav called a meeting of members of the Legislative Assembly and&nbsp;Legislative Council and other ministers,&nbsp;excluding Shivpal Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, the latter being Akhilesh&#39;s father and party leader, represent the old guard of the Samajwadi party, and Akhilesh represents the new ideology. &nbsp;

Raju Yadav, a member of the Legislative Assembly from Manipur, said, &quot;CM said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet,&quot;&nbsp;ANI reported.&nbsp;

Amar Singh is a close associate of both Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, and is considered by Akhilesh loyalists to be an&nbsp;&quot;outsider&quot; who&nbsp;is blamed for the bad blood between Shivpal and Akhilesh.&nbsp;

The rift in the family that dominates the politics&nbsp;of India&#39;s northern Uttar Pradesh state started in September, when Shivpal replaced his nephew as Samajwadi party&#39;s president. Akhilesh hit back by taking three major portfolios from Shivpal.

The meeting took place a day after Akhilesh&#39;s close supporter Udayveer Singh was sacked from the party by Shivpal, after he wrote a letter to Mulayam Singh, persuading him to name Akhilesh Yadav as the political parties national president and insulted Mulayam&#39;s second wife, as per media reports.&nbsp;

&quot;Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and undisciplined behavior,&quot; party spokeswoman Ambika Chaudhary said.

The political and family feud is a&nbsp;cause of worry for the Samajwadi party, as Assembly elections take place next year.&nbsp;With an approximate population of about 200 million, this state is a key&nbsp;battleground for all political parties in India.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

In a meeting earlier today, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said any minister close to Amar Singh will be fired

Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has fired his uncle Shivpal Yadav, and four other ministers from the state cabinet. Earlier in the day, Yadav called a meeting of members of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council and other ministers, excluding Shivpal Yadav. Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, the latter being Akhilesh's father and party leader, represent the old guard of the Samajwadi party, and Akhilesh represents the new ideology. Raju Yadav, a member of the Legislative Assembly from Manipur, said, "CM said in the meeting that whoever is close to Amar Singh cannot be in my cabinet," ANI reported. Amar Singh is a close associate of both Shivpal Yadav and Mulayam Singh, and is considered by Akhilesh loyalists to be an "outsider" who is blamed for the bad blood between Shivpal and Akhilesh. The rift in the family that dominates the politics of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state started in September, when Shivpal replaced his nephew as Samajwadi party's president. Akhilesh hit back by taking three major portfolios from Shivpal. The meeting took place a day after Akhilesh's close supporter Udayveer Singh was sacked from the party by Shivpal, after he wrote a letter to Mulayam Singh, persuading him to name Akhilesh Yadav as the political parties national president and insulted Mulayam's second wife, as per media reports. "Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and undisciplined behavior," party spokeswoman Ambika Chaudhary said. The political and family feud is a cause of worry for the Samajwadi party, as Assembly elections take place next year. With an approximate population of about 200 million, this state is a key battleground for all political parties in India. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Akhilesh Yadav sacks uncle Shivpal, 4 other cabinet ministers

amar-singh

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