Rajya Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh was on Tuesday named the party's national general secretary. Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a letter to Singh, said, "I hope you will help make the party stronger ahead of the state elections," NDTV reported. Last week, Singh was dragged into the ongoing dispute in the party between Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

In the midst of the conflict, Akhilesh Yadav had referred to an "outsider" who was creating a rift in the party, which analysts interpreted as a reference to Singh. Singh rejoined the party in May, which experts said was an effort by the party to boost its chances in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Amar Singh has popular support in the state, especially among members of the Rajput community. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha and general secretary of the Samajwadi Party till January 2010, when he resigned from his posts. He left the party a month later on party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s suggestion. Since then, he was implicated in various corruption scandals and has also claimed to have retired from politics.

The Yadav family dispute blew up last week after Akhilesh Yadav was replaced as the party’s state chief by his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav had taken away Shivpal Yadav’s cabinet portfolios in retaliation. Shivpal Yadav then resigned from the party and state government, but was given back his portfolios after Mulayam Singh Yadav intervened.