LUCKNOW: Shivpal Singh Yadav, the sulking chief of the Pragatisheel Samajawadi Party-Lohia (PSPL), is not missing out on any opportunity to hint at his increasing cosiness with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shivpal, on Saturday, started following PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Twitter. He even started following UP’s former deputy CM Dr Dinesh Sharma giving credence to his differences with nephew Akhilesh Yadav.
So far, Shivpal had been following only the PMO and UP CMO but now he has started following the personal Twitter handles of both the PM and UP CM. Following the latest additions, Shivpal Yadav now follows a dozen Twitter handles including the Dalai Lama and the President of India.
Shivpal Yadav had contested the recent Assembly polls on the Samajwadi Party symbol from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat in Etawah, his native district, and won. However, annoyed over not being called to SP legislative party meeting, where Akhilesh was elected SPLP leader on March 26, Shivpal skipped the meeting of the rainbow alliance called by the SP chief on March 31 as well.
He rather chose to meet Yogi Adityanath at his official residence the same day leading to speculation about his joining the saffron brigade.
However, in interactions with mediapersons since then, Shivpal denied rumours of joining the saffron brigade, saying that he would speak about his future course of action at an appropriate time.
In fact, a sulking Shivpal 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, which Akhilesh reportedly refused.
However, the latest development is seen as yet another step in the PSPL chief's growing proximity to the BJP.
“There should be something new in the New Year. On Saturday (the first day of the Hindu New Year), Shivpal Ji started following (on Twitter) Modi, Adityanath and Dinesh Sharma,” said PSPL spokesperson Deepak Mishra who said he would not deny the possibility of some kind of truck between the BJP and PSPL as options were always open in politics.
He also said Shivpal was already following Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Twitter.
Shivpal Yadav’s crossover, if it happens at all, would not be unexpected as on many occasions Akhilesh Yadav has accused him of being in collusion with Yogi Adityanath and being soft towards the BJP.
However, UP Deputy CM Keshav Maurya feels that nothing should be read between the lines into the Yogi-Shivpal meeting.
"Yogi Adityanath is the Chief Minister of 24 crore people in Uttar Pradesh. Anyone can meet him. Recently, he also met Akhilesh Yadav," said the UP Deputy CM, downplaying the meeting between the two leaders.