Amar Singh was appointed to the Samajwadi Party’s parliamentary board by Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday, ANI reported. Singh, who returned the party fold in May this year, was also named the party’s national general secretary in September. The move comes ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, where Singh enjoys significant support from the Rajput community.

Singh was recently dragged into the dispute in the party between Mulayam Singh Yadav, his brother Shivpal Yadav, and his son, state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. INn a veiled remark, the CM had referred to Singh as an “outsider”, and had accused him of creating a rift in the party. However, he had not taken Singh’s name while making the statement.

On October 24, Singh called Akhilesh a “fantastic chief minister” but not a mass leader. Singh said it takes time to become a mass leader and that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister was still very young. He also rejected allegations that he was trying to destroy the Samajwadi Party.

Singh’s return to the SP is perceived as an effort by the party to boost its chances in the 2017 Assembly elections in the state. However, the rift between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav may affect the party’s chances in the state. At one point, it was rumoured that the infighting within the party had led to the chief minister’s supporters functioning independently from a separate office in Lucknow.

The alleged family feud was triggered by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav appointing Shivpal Yadav as the state party chief. The move, which was reportedly implemented because of fears of an anti-incumbency vote, did not go down well with the CM, who then relieved his uncle of major portfolios in the Cabinet. Mulayam Singh Yadav had to intervene to bring the situation under control.