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(REOPENS DEL 70) (REOPENS DEL 70) Samajwadi Party leaders in Lucknow said, Shivpal may quitthe Akhilesh Yadav cabinet in the coming days and concentrateon party affairs ahead of assembly polls slated early nextyear. After returning to SP’s fold recently, Amar singh hadbeen siding with Shivpal and attacking Akhilesh and Ram Gopal. The leaders said Akhilesh had been resisting "backseatdriving" by Shivpal and senior leader Mohd Azam Khan inrunning the government. "The decision to hand over the charge of the state unitto Shivpal is a clear indication that while Akhilesh willconcentrate in governance, Shivpal will prepare party for thecoming Assembly elections…Shivpal has a better politicalacumen," a senior leader said. In an image-refurbishing exercise ahead of Assemblyelections, Akhilesh had yesterday cracked the whip on twoministers — Mining minister Gayatri Prajapati and PanchaytiRaj minister Rajkishore Singh — facing corruption charges. While Rajkishore is considered close to Mulayam,Prajapati is reportedly Shivpal’s favourite. Last month, Mulayam had backed Shivpal in his tussle withAkhilesh and took on the state government stating that severalcabinet ministers were involved in illegal money deals. Mulayam’s remarks had come a day after Shivpal pointed atcorruption within the ruling establishment and had threatenedto resign. Addressing SP workers, Mulayam had said that in case theparty splits, many workers will go with Shivpal. PTI NABRG