Shivpal Yadav again skips meeting of Samajwadi Party allies

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL) head Shivpal Yadav on Tuesday skipped a meeting between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and SP allies, triggering speculation that he is upset with his nephew. Shivpal, who had fought the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on an SP ticket was not invited to the party MLAs' meeting on March 26, and had indicated his unhappiness then.

On Tuesday, leaders of Samajwadi Party (SP) allies, including SBSP leader Om Prakash Rajbhar, RLD leader Rajpal Balyan and Apna Dal (K) leader Pallavi Patel, attended the meeting with Akhilesh Yadav. But his uncle and ally Shivpal Yadav did not attend.

Asked about his absence from the latest meeting, Shivpal told reporters in Etawah, "I will not say anything. If I have something to share, I will call you (media)."


Rajbhar, however, played down the absence of the PSPL chief, saying "there are no differences in the alliance".

Talking about the meeting, RLD leader Balyan said here, "We discussed about our future strategy in the House (assembly). We will continue to struggle for the cause of farmers and labourers, and continue our fight for them."

After remaining at loggerheads since 2017, Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav had decided to mend fences just before the recently concluded state assembly election.

Their estrangement had resulted in Shivpal Yadav launching his own party before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2022 assembly polls, the two had put up a united front at behest of SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav.