The Samajwadi Party will consider withdrawing its application for Shivpal Singh Yadav’s disqualification as MLA if he agrees for a merger with the Akhilesh Yadav-led party, senior SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary said on Sunday.

On September 13, the SP had moved the application seeking Shivpal Yadav’s disqualification from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly under the anti-defection law. Shivpal Yadav was elected from the Jaswantnagar Assembly constituency on an SP ticket in the 2017 State elections. In 2018, he floated a new party — Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) — after falling out with SP chief and his nephew Akhilesh Yadav.

“If Shivpal Singh Yadav dissolves his party and merges it with the Samajwadi Party, then the party will consider withdrawing the application seeking his disqualification as MLA of UP Legislative Assembly,” Chaudhary told reporters here.

The Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly said the SP has shown utmost patience in dealing with Shivpal Yadav.

“Despite giving statements against party president Akhilesh Yadav and the feud in the party, he was given a ticket in the 2017 UP Assembly elections. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he contested against his nephew Akshay Yadav from Firozabad on a Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) ticket,” Chaudhary said. On September 20, Akhilesh Yadav had hinted that the SP may withdraw the application seeking the disqualification of his estranged uncle. “Whosoever wants to come, we will include them in the party,” the SP chief had said.