LUCKNOW: As the Samajwadi Party has proceeded to seek disqualification of Shivpal Singh Yadav, its MLA from Jaswantnagar, from state’s Legislative Assembly under the anti-defection law, the former state chief of SP announced that he was ready to contest the bypoll consequent to his disqualification from the seat.
Moreover, Shivpal reminded his parent party, now headed by nephew Akhilesh Yadav, that he had already resigned from the party. Notably, Shivpal had floated his own political outfit – Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) -- in October, last year.
Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit is likely to decide Shivpal’s disqualification issue soon.
“I have already resigned from Samajwadi Party, however, the last decision, in this case, will be taken by the Speaker. I am prepared to contest Jaswantnagar by poll against anyone fielded by any party,” he said while talking to media persons in his native village Saifai on Wednesday.
Shivpal had parted ways with the SP alleging disrespect on the part of Akhilesh who had dismissed from the post of state chief just ahead of 2017 Assembly elections when the family feud in the first family of Samajwadi Party was at its peak. However, Shivpal was given party ticket from Jaswantnagar to cover up the simmering feud.
As per SP insiders, now Akhilesh Yadav wants his uncle to be disqualified as he was elected from Jaswantnagar Assembly seat on an SP ticket. Shivpal had earlier ruled out any possibility of merger with the parent SP.
However, he had given enough feelers for an alliance before the 2019 general elections.
Shivpal is known for having strong clout in the Yadavland comprising districts like Eatwah, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Auriyya. He had presented an example of his following in 2019 big battle by fielding candidates on all the seats in Uttar Pradesh except Mainpuri, from where his elder brother Mulayam was in fray.
Even in Kannauj, he had withdrawn the candidate after being asked by MSY to do so. Shivpal himself had contested from Firozabad, Though he could not win the seat but led to such a division of votes that his cousin nephew and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav’s son Akashya too lost the battle. Akshay had contested the polls as SP candidate.