Shivpal Yadav, Swami Prasad Maurya among 14 general secretaries in new SP national executive

While Akhilesh Yadav will continue to hold the post of national president, Kiranmoy Nanda will be national vice president and Ram Gopal Yadav will continue as national principal general secretary

The Samajwadi Party declared its 62-member national executive on Sunday with Akhilesh Yadav as its national president and his uncle Shivpal Yadav as a general secretary.

Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently stirred controversy over his remarks on Ramcharitmanas, and veteran leader Azam Khan are also among the 14 national general secretaries.

The uncle-nephew duo of Mr. Shivpal and Mr. Akhilesh, who parted ways in 2016, came together during the Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-election in December last year following the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The SP on Sunday released the list of 62 national executive members on its Twitter handle.

In 2016, Shivpal Yadav, the then SP's Uttar Pradesh unit president had an open feud with the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and was sacked from Uttar Pradesh Cabinet. Sidelined in the party, Shivpal Yadav formed the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) in 2018 and contested against his nephew Akshay Yadav from Firozabad.

After their show of unity in Mainpuri, there was speculation that he may be formally rehabilitated in the party.

A former