The ruling Samajwadi Party seemed to hurtle towards a split just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav defiantly released a list of candidates for seats already allotted by his father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to others on Thursday night. His list of 235 candidates includes several party leaders who are close to Akhilesh and who did not make it to the party's official list announced a day before by Mulayam Singh Yadav. The rebels said they have been asked by the Chief Minister to go back to their constituencies and prepare to contest the elections.
