Mulayam Singh Yadav, like his son Akhilesh also broke down while addressing party workers. Praising his brother Shivpal Yadav, Mulayam says he was a grassroots leader.


Just before this meeting convened by Mulayam, Shivpal Yadav told the media that he knew about his sacking from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet beforehand. "We are preparing for upcoming elections and will directly meet people. I knew this will happen someday," he said.


Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.


The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Akhilesh engaged in a face-off with his father by sacking each other's loyalists Ramgopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.


Akhilesh had sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet.


Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ramgopal, pro-CM cousin and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years, plunging the party into worst-ever crisis days ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations and at a time when Assembly elections were barely few months away.