New Delhi: While attempts to make peace between Samajwadi Party Supremo Mulayam Singh and his son and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav have failed, it is now learnt that Mulayam Singh and his brother Shivpal Yadav have reached the national capital to stake claim on party’s poll symbol, that is the ‘Cycle’.

The Election Commission had asked both camps of the Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav respectively to prove their majority for claiming the party and the iconic ‘cycle’ symbol by January 9th. The Akhilesh Yadav-led camp had claimed that some 212 part MLA’s had already signed an affidavit and presented it to the Election Commission. Yesterday, the Akhilesh Yadav faction met the Election Commissioner Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, but the number of signatories to the affidavit submitted to the poll panel was not known.

With this, it is said that Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav will hold consultations before they go to the Election Commission on Monday to present their case. Singh will also be accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh.

According to IANS sources, both factions led by Mulayam and his son Akhilesh will now contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on different party symbols, irrespective of who gets the official party symbol. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases between 11 February and 8 March. The sources privy to the confabulations told IANS that while both Shivpal and Mulayam Singh’s aide Amar Singh told the party chief that they were “ready to be the sacrificial lambs” if it brought the warring father-son together, the truce offer was turned down by Mulayam himself.

Mulayam Singh apparently pressed for a demand that Akhilesh first steps down as the party national president, a post that was held by him for a decade. Apparently, the SP patriarch said that if Akhilesh obliged to his demand of stepping down from the “key post”, his request of larger say in party’s ticket distribution for the upcoming polls will be considered. However, the Akhilesh camp has reportedly declined Netaji’s offer.

The months-long feud within Samajwadi party’s Yadav family had hit a high note when last week Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son and state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from the party. However, speaking to reporters at the Airport on Sunday, Mulayam Singh rubbished all the rumours of drift within the party. “There is no feud in the party, so the question of compromise does not arise,” Mulayam said before getting in the car.