Cycle, the election symbol of Samajwadi Party, today formally came under dispute with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's camp telling the Election Commission that the party is "actually" headed by him now and not its founder Mulayam Singh.


Yesterday, Mulayam himself drove down to Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters, to inform the poll watchdog that he continues to head the party and the decision to anoint his son Akhilesh as its president by the rival faction was unconstitutional as per the SP constitution.


Leaders loyal to Akhilesh -- Ram Gopal Yadav, Naresh Agarwal and Kiranmoy Nanda -- met the Commission this morning to stake claim over SP and its election symbol.


All three who represented Akhilesh before the poll panel stand expelled from SP by Mulayam. "The real Samajwadi Party belongs to us as 90 per cent of the people support us," Ram Gopal, who is Mulayam's cousin and has sided with Akhilesh in the family feud, told reporters after meeting the Commission. He was asked about what he conveyed to the Commission on the party and its symbol.