SAIFAI (ETAWAH): Tension prevailed in Saifai, the native place of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and CM Akhilesh Yadav and streets wore a deserted look. There was thin presence of customers even at tea kiosks located in the vicinity of Mulayam's kothi.By afternoon, the crowded markets near the block office of Saifai become deserted. But as soon as the news in which the Election Commission (EC) reserved the decision regarding the fate of party symbol 'cycle' was aired on news channels, tension defused swiftly. People were heard saying that still there is a little scope of patch up between the father and son.Be it SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, his brother Shivpal Yadav or cousin Ram Gopal, police were deployed outside the residence of every member of Yadav clan and at the party office in Etawah.However, except raising slogans, no untoward incident or provoking reaction came from the two factions at the party's district office. By evening, the thoroughfares in Saifai became normal.Om Shanker, a tea kiosk owner known as Lala said, "There were very few customers today. From morning, hardly any one has turned up here due to the decision on verdict that was supposed to come. The business in the first half of the day has been less."Without entering into argument over the fate of party's symbol, he said that as a patron of SP, 'Netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has done a great service to the party. "I will say the current feud has helped in marginalising Narendra Modi and his demonetisation. And it's just a matter of few days. SP under the able leadership of Akhilesh Bhaiya will fly high and for sure, he will again form the next government," Om Shanker said.Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters of Akhilesh Yadav led by Gopal Yadav, besides Mulayam and Shivpal faction thronged the party office in Civil Lines area since Friday morning. They were witnessed talking and exchanging WhatsApp messages on their mobile phones amidst sloganeering in favour of their leaders like 'Akhilesh Bhaiya tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain' and 'Dhartiputra Mulayam Singh Yadav zindabad zindabad'. Newly appointed SP president of Etawah Gopal Yadav was heard saying, "It's only Akhilesh bhaiya, who could lead the party.""Everyone seems to be worried about the decision of EC regarding the fate of cycle symbol. But then to be very honest, for us Akhilesh Bhaiya's face is enough to win 2017 Assembly elections of UP," Gopal Yadav said. And there is a reason too as Akhilesh Bhaiya in the last five years has developed a good, clean, image who is committed to overall development of the state, he added.Sunil Yadav, after being sacked by Ram Gopal Yadav and who still considers himself to be the actual district head of SP, said, "We are worried about the fate of SP symbol as it's synonymous with Netaji. We are emotionally attached to it and would never like to lose it."

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