SP Rift Deepens Amid Moradabad Feud As Akhilesh Yadav Asks Chief Whip To Quit On MP's Complaint

Published 1 July 2026 · local

SP Rift Deepens Amid Moradabad Feud As Akhilesh Yadav Asks Chief Whip To Quit On MP's Complaint Reported By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 13:38

SP Rift Deepens Amid Moradabad Feud As Akhilesh Yadav Asks Chief Whip To Quit On MP's Complaint Reported By, Last Updated: July 01, 2026, 13:38 IST The move is being viewed as Yadav’s attempt to contain an escalating power struggle in western Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 assembly elections Rapid Read The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the Samajwadi Party, which is preparing its organisational machinery for the 2027 polls. (PTI) The simmering factional feud within the Samajwadi Party (SP) burst into the open on Tuesday after party president Akhilesh Yadav directed Uttar Pradesh assembly chief whip Kamal Akhtar to step down from his post, following complaints by Moradabad MP Ruchi Veera over his conduct and functioning. The move is being viewed as Yadav’s attempt to contain an escalating power struggle in western Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. Akhtar, the SP MLA from Kanth and a senior Muslim face in the party, immediately resigned from his position, saying he had done so on the instructions of the party president. While denying any personal differences with Ruchi Veera, he maintained that organisational changes were a routine exercise and that he would continue working under Yadav’s leadership.

The controversy, however, has its roots in a bitter turf war in Moradabad that has been brewing for months. According to party sources, Veera recently met Yadav in Lucknow and lodged a formal complaint against Akhtar, accusing him of undermining her authority and creating obstacles in the district organisation. Yadav subsequently summoned both leaders for a face-to-face meeting, which was attended by senior party functionaries, including Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali, former MLA Yusuf Ansari, district president Jaivir Singh Yadav and MP representative Khushnood Ali. Instead of settling the issue quietly, the meeting reportedly turned heated. Sources said Akhtar described Veera as a “seasonal" or “election-time" leader, questioning her commitment to the Samajwadi Party. He is also learnt to have told the leadership that local party workers and senior leaders had worked hard to secure Veera’s Lok Sabha victory, but after becoming an MP, she allegedly distanced herself from the organisation and sidelined veteran SP leaders in Moradabad. Akhtar is also reported to have accused the MP of pursuing “pressure politics" to strengthen the prospects of her daughter, Swati Veera, for the Moradabad City assembly seat in the 2027 elections.

He denied the existence of factionalism in the district, alleging instead that Veera was attempting to create parallel centres of power within the party. On the other hand, Veera reportedly pressed Yadav to take disciplinary action against Akhtar, alleging that his behaviour and style of functioning were damaging the party’s image and organisational discipline. She is understood to have remained firm on her demand even after the meeting. Although Yadav initially tried to broker peace by hearing both sides, the decision to ask Akhtar to relinquish the chief whip’s post is widely being interpreted as an attempt to send a message that public infighting will not be tolerated. At the same time, Akhtar has retained his position as MLA and continues to enjoy considerable influence in western Uttar Pradesh, suggesting that the party leadership is trying to strike a balance rather than openly backing one faction. The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the Samajwadi Party, which is preparing its organisational machinery for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The Moradabad episode has highlighted competing ambitions among influential leaders in western Uttar Pradesh, where the SP is seeking to consolidate its Muslim-Dalit-OBC support base.