As huge crowd of supporters gathered outside his house

this morning in the wake of his resignation, Shivpal toldthem, "Netaji’s word is final." "We all have to strengthen Samajwadi Party. We are withNetaji (Mulayam). His message is an order for us. We will notlet the party be weakened. In every situation, we are withNetaji," Shivpal told slogan-shouting party-men outside his 7Kalidas Marg residence here. The partymen had gathered in his support since last nightafter he submitted his resignation to Mulayam as rulingSamajwadi Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit head and as a minister inthe cabinet of nephew Akhilesh. The SP supremo said it was election time and all shouldcome together to work unitedly. "There is no fight amongRamgopal, Akhilesh and Shivpal," he told reporters as slogansin favour of Shivpal drowned his remarks. As the crisis threatened to cast a shadow over the SP’sprospects in the upcoming Assembly elections, Mulayam soughtto downplay the developments saying, "Every father and sonfaces issues….There is no rift." "Samajwadi Party is a family. There are no differences inthe party," he said. Mulayam also defended Prajapati who was dropped byAkhilesh as Mining Minister, saying, "the order of his sackingwill be rescinded". Throughout the day, the ruling party circles witnessedhectic confabulations with a number of legislators andministers meeting Shivpal. Prajapati was among those who wentto Shivpal’s residence. Akhilesh, who participated at India TV’s ‘Chunav Manch’conclave here, laid bare his angst, saying he "felt bad" afterbeing removed as Samajwadi Party state president and demandedthat he be given a say in ticket distribution for the 2017Assembly election. Akhilesh said he has rejected the resignation of Shivpaland he will comply with his father and party supremo MulayamSingh’s Yadav direction to reinduct sacked Mining MinisterPrajapati, adding that "Netaji will find a solution (to thecurrent crisis) and everyone will accept it". (MORE) PTI ABNSMIAKK