Still Awaiting SP’s Response to My Request to Unite against BJP in UP, Says Shivpal Yadav
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) president Shivpal Yadav has said that after several attempts from his side for all parties espousing socialist thought to organise under one umbrella, things have not moved in the desired direction as there was no response from the Samajwadi Party (SP) yet.
The younger brother of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal said, “Many times through different mediums and on various platforms I have said that all the people of the socialist stream should come together and create a synergy in which everyone can get respect and develop the state…As far as the SP is concerned, till now there has been no positive response to my request, nor has there been any talk with its leadership on the subject. It is unfortunate that despite my intention being clear, things are yet to move in a positive direction.”
Yadav further affirmed that the PSPL will not merge with any political party ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. “We have assured our party officials and workers that there will be no compromise with our honour,” he said, while reiterating his call for solidarity of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parties in the state.
Yadav stated that he is constantly working towards strengthening his organisation, and that from December 24, the PSPL will begin a pad yatra across Uttar Pradesh.
A few days ago, Shivpal Yadav had also announced that his party would prefer an alliance with the SP to contest the assembly elections to oust the BJP from power. “Our party’s organization has been almost fully built across every district in the state and I am touring the state to strengthen the organization. In the upcoming assembly elections, I will forge an alliance with the Samajwadi Party according to the seats. Our party will not merge with any party, nor will we contest on any other election symbol,” Shivpal had said after a meeting of the District Cooperative Bank Board in Etawah.
“Talks are going on with other parties as well, but we want an alliance with the SP to take power away from the BJP,” he added.
In the event that an alliance is forged between Shivpal Yadav’s party and the SP, it is likely that politics in the Etawah region and adjoining districts would see a turn.
Akhilesh Yadav, on the other hand, has made clear that the SP will not enter an alliance with any major political party, but will consider tie-ups with smaller political parties in the state. “I have said it many times earlier and today I am saying it again, Pragatisheel Party will also be adjusted and Jaswant Nagar has already been left for their leader and in times to come, we will also give a cabinet berth to the party,” Akhilesh Yadav had said.
Earlier, the SP had withdrawn its plea for disqualification of party MLA Shivpal Yadav from the UP Assembly, which was also seen as a sign of unification in the Yadav family. After this, Shivpal returned the gesture and called Akhilesh to thank him for retracting the disqualification application.
Shivpal Yadav, who is still a SP MLA from Jaswant Nagar, had formed his own political outfit after dissenting against Akhilesh Yadav. Although the PSPL could not win any seats in the 2017 Assembly elections or the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it managed to dent prospects of Samajwadi Party on many seats.
