PSPL Chief Says Many Small Parties Will Come Together for UP Polls

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) chief Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, said many small parties will come together for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Shivpal in a statement at Braj Press Club on Thursday said that a possible electoral tie-up PSPL will not form an alliance with any “bigger party.” However, an IANS report quoted him as saying that he is ready for a tie-up with Samajwadi Party.

In a strong statement on parties rallying against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said a new government will not be able to form without the PSPL party’s support.

On the question of a possible electoral tie-up with Akhilesh Yadav’s SP, Shivpal said, “If we had been together in the last election, there would have been SP government in three states including Uttar Pradesh.”

In an attack against the BJP government for making ‘black’ farm laws, he said, “We are also in touch with other small parties in the state to forge an alliance. Those who made these black farm laws against the farmers’ interest should not be given any chance to win the elections.”

The PSPL chief said he supports the farmers’ movement against Centre’s three farm laws. “We are with the farmers and if required, we will start a ‘Jail Bharo’ movement,” he said adding that he supports Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait.

Legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled in February-March 2022.

Shivpal Yadav was elected from the Jaswantnagar assembly constituency in the 2017 state elections. He later floated a new political party, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on its symbol from Firozabad.