Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav unanimously declared as national president of the Samajwadi Party on Thursday, at the party’s national convention in Agra. He was anointed to the position uncontested. The party’s constitution also amended to extend the tenure of the post from three to five years, allowing Yadav to head the party during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as the next Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in 2022, reported news agency PTI.

The official announcement of Akhilesh’s appointment made at the party’s national convention by senior party leader Ram Goyal Yadav. Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who stayed away from the convention, sent his blessings, Akhilesh reportedly said at the convention. During the meet, attended by over 12,000 party delegates from more than a dozen states, the party also expected to chalk out its strategy for the 2019 General Elections as well as discuss possible alliances for the 2022 assembly polls.

National president of Samajwadi Party

Ahead of the announcement, Akhilesh had said he received “advance blessings and wishes” from his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. He said, “Sometimes my age and relation works to my advantage. He (Shivpal) gave me blessings and congratulated me.”

A fallout between the two had threatened to split the party earlier this year. Shivpal had planned to form a secular front, headed by Mulayam. Shivpal’s “blessings” could be a sign of thaw in relations.