LUCKNOW: With speculation rife following his meeting with UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL) chief Shivpal Yadav, who had called a meeting of his party’s core group of leaders, said that he would speak about his future course of action at an appropriate time. The PSPL chief was reacting to queries by mediapersons about his plans to join the saffron brigade here on Thursday.
“It is not an appropriate time to say anything. However, I would take this opportunity to assure my party leaders not to get worried about the future,” said Shivpal Yadav who denied reports in a section of the media that during his recent Delhi visit, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“I had called a meeting of my party leaders today (Thursday) to discuss the party’s strategy for future,” said Shivpal, who has been at loggerheads with nephew and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. His alliance with the SP is on the rocks over a number of issues including denial of respect to him as per his stature. Shivpal had contested the recently-concluded assembly polls on the SP symbol.
The PSPL chief had met the UP CM late on Wednesday night fuelling speculation that he may leave the SP alliance soon and either join the BJP or stitch an alliance of his party with the NDA. Sources close to Shivpal Yadav said he may make a big announcement about his plans soon.
Although Shivpal did not reveal his plans, PSPL sources claimed that he was weighing his options as he wanted to secure a political future for his son Aditya.
“There is a buzz that the BJP may send Shivpal Yadav ji to the Rajya Sabha and his son Aditya may contest on his Jaswantnagar seat,” said a source close to the PSPL chief.
Political pundits, however, feel that if Shivpal joins the BJP, either he or his son may be fielded from Azamgarh parliamentary seat which has been vacated by Akhilesh Yadav who has decided to retain his assembly seat of Karhal. Azamgarh will be witnessing the by-election within six months.
In fact, Shivpal has been sulking since he was not invited to SP legislative party meeting in which Akhilesh was elected SPLP leader on Saturday. He had openly expressed his displeasure at not being invited to the SPLP meeting despite being an SP MLA from Jaswantnagar.
Sources close to Shivpal Yadav claimed that the PSP-L chief was eyeing a bigger role in the SP after he contested the recently concluded Assembly elections on the SP symbol from Jaswantnagar sacrificing his own party.
In fact, after Akhilesh’s promise of giving him his due in the party ahead of the assembly polls, Shivpal had been expecting the SP leadership to spare a seat for his son to contest but Akhilesh reportedly refused. Even Shivpal was made to contest on
SP symbol from Jasawantnagar which he won by over 90,000 votes. This led the discontent grow inside Shivpal who, even during the elections, had expressed his dismay by saying that he agreed to contest on the SP symbol only to honour his elder brother Mulayam Singh’s words.