Fifteen months after he assumed power, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is now shedding his lenient image and has begun cracking the whip in the party and the government.
In the past five days, he has expelled one party legislator, issued notice to another, suspended a police officer for dereliction of duty and ordered transfers of nearly 30 PCS officers.
The CM also ordered a police case against Samajwadi leader Tilak Ram Varma in Faizabad who had abused a city magistrate and threatened to beat him up with shoes.
“The chief minister is finally acting tough because he knows that any further leniency could make him pay a heavy price in the Lok Sabha polls. If the SP does not get sufficient seats, it is Akhilesh Yadav whoop will be blamed. He has been tolerating nonsense from party leaders for over a year now but he is in a payback mode now,” said a close aide of the CM.
The expulsion of Pramod Gupta from the Samajwadi Party last week is a strong message to party leaders and cadres. Mr Pramod Gupta is a close family member — brother-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav — and it must have taken a great amount of guts to initiate action against such a person — more so, because of the fragile nature of relationship. Mr Gupta had been throwing his weight around since the past several months and was sure that he would not face action. After his expulsion, he is now claiming that the action is being revoked though there are so such indications in the party.
Mr Gupta’s expulsion is a signal for those senior ministers (read Azam Khan) who have been taking Mr Akhilesh Yadav for granted and have been embarrassing the government with their actions and words.
A senior minister who is considered close to the chief minister said, “Akhilesh was very much aware of what is going on under his nose but he did not wish to be seen as an autocrat like Mayawati. Moreover, he respects elders and thought they would mend their ways on their own. His patience is snapping now and more action will follow in the days to come.”
Meanwhile, the new Akhilesh has sent shock waves in his own party circles and the Samajwadi Party headquarters is abuzz with speculations about those who could face action.