Lucknow, Nov 29 (UNI) There seems to be no let up in the battle for supremacy within the first family of the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh despite party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's claims that the family and the party were united and all issues resolved. Candidature for the coming Assembly elections has also turned into a bone of contention for both the groups-- one led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and other by state party president Shivpal Singh Yadav. Though the party has announced around 156 candidates so far, but the sitting members of around 230 are yet to be announced, which is creating ripples among them. However, the rift within the party continues. Party state president Shivpal Yadav had visited Badaun on Sunday to participate in a marriage in the family of a party leader. The youth leaders of the party and then party MP from Badaun Dharmendra Yadav, a close confidant of Akhilesh Yadav was conspicuous by their absence. During the rath yatra by the Chief Minister on Saturday last week from Moradabad to Rampur, pictures of Shivpal Yadav were missing from the thousands of posters, banners and hoarding put up all along the national highway from Moradabad to Rampur. The Chief Minister, during the rath yatra addressed a series of public meetings in Moradabad and Rampur. The posters, hoardings and banners had pictures of almost all the prominent leaders of the SP family, including Akhilesh, his wife and MP Dimple Yadav, Mulayam and party spokesperson Ram Gopal Yadav. Shivpal’s pictures, however, were left out. Even the hi-tech rath, from which Akhilesh was campaigning, do not have Shivpal’s pictures. Akhilesh had also set-up his election office at Janeshwar Mishra Trust complex here and not at the SP headquarters. The office was managed completely by SP youth wing leaders, who are supporters of the Chief Minister. Many eyebrows were raised over the absence of the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the Ghazipur rally addressed by the party supremo on November 23. This was the first rally addressed by Mulayam Singh Yadav to launch the party’s poll campaign. Samajwadi party sources said chief minister is unlikely to participate in the party’s rally in Bareilly on December 7. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will address the rally. SP sources here today said Akhilesh Yadav, buoyed by the success of the two phases of rath yatra, first on November 3 from Lucknow to Unnao and later on November 26-- is likely to focus his attention on the direct communication with the masses through rath yatra rather attending the rallies organised by the party at different locations in the state in coming days. UNI MB SB 1113