Akhilesh-Shivpal set to part ways again? PSPL chief says 'big announement soon'

Amid reports about the widening rift between the two, Shivpal on Thursday said that he will make a decision regarding his political future at the appropriate time.

Lucknow: Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party - Lohia (PSPL) president Shivpal Singh Yadav’s meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has triggered intense speculations that all is not well between him and his nephew Akhilesh Yadav.

Speculations are rife that the PSPL chief is all set to break his alliance with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav. Amid reports about the growing differences between the two, Shivpal on Thursday said that he ''will take a decision regarding his political future at the appropriate time.''

Shivpal, the younger brother of SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, told reporters that he would take a decision, keeping in mind the welfare of his party.

The PSPL chief has been reportedly sulking ever since he was not invited to a Samajwadi Party (SP) meeting last week. Though he was invited to the meeting with other SP allies, Shivpal skipped the event.

Shivpal had also met his elder brother and Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi and is believed to have discussed the political scenario with him.

According to a senior PSPL leader, Shivpal has "already burnt his hands" in the alliance with SP that gave him only one seat. "His priority is now to strengthen his own party and launch his son Aditya`s career in politics. He is also concerned about his supporters," he said.

A key leader of the opposition alliance Om Prakash Rajbhar, however, sought to downplay the issue saying there are "some issues" within their family and he was making all efforts to ensure that they remained together.

Reports suggested that the distance between Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav has been widening ever since the former was not invited to the meeting of newly elected SP MLAs on March 26.

PSPL chief Shivpal Yadav had contested the recent state polls on the bicycle symbol of the SP. He had skipped the opposition alliance's Monday meeting called by Akhilesh Yadav and also "delayed" taking oath as a member of the new assembly, indicating that all is not well between the uncle-nephew duo.

Besides Shivpal Yadav, the alliance's other key leader Pallavi Patel of Apna Dal (Kamerwadi), who had humbled Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu seat, also did not attend the meeting of the SP-led coalition partners on March 28.

Shivpal Yadav took oath on Wednesday in the chamber of Speaker Satish Mahana and later went to 5, Kalidas Marg residence of the CM to meet Adityanath, fuelling speculation of his changing sides.

The crossover, if materializes, would not surprise many as on many occasions, Akhilesh Yadav himself has accused his uncle of being in touch with Adityanath and soft towards the saffron party. Talks are doing the rounds in the political circles that as part of the plan, the BJP might send Shivpal Yadav to Rajya Sabha and give his Jaswantnagar seat to his son Aditya Yadav.

Akhilesh Yadav had denied a ticket to Aditya Yadav in the February-March elections. Eleven Rajya Sabha seats would be falling vacant from UP between April and July. Shivpal Yadav himself has not been speaking much. On Wednesday he had told the media persons that he would tell everything at the right time.

After remaining at loggerheads since 2017, Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav had decided to mend fences just before the recent state assembly elections. Their estrangement had resulted in Shivpal Yadav launching his own party before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In the just-concluded assembly polls, the uncle-nephew had put up a united front appearing together at the residence of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on election eve. Shivpal himself won from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat for the sixth time.

(With Agency Inputs)