Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav asked his nephew and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to expedite the decision on alliance with his party for the 2022 UP assembly elections and that he was willing for an alliance with the SP ignoring the years of discord with him.

He stated that whether the SP went for an alliance or a merger, the will of his party workers should be respected and seats should be distributed in a “respectable manner”.

"Whatever decision Akhilesh has to take, he should take it soon. Whether it is related to the alliance or the merger of the party, it should be done without further loss of time. We have been trying for the last two years. Whatever needs to be done, Akhilesh should do it quickly. But our people should be respected and those who are behind us should get seats in a respectable manner," he said.

Talks of a merger between estranged Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav have been on for the last two years. Highlighting his inclination towards reconciliation ahead of the 2022 UP polls, Akhilesh had recently announced that his party would form an alliance with PSPL and he would give his uncle “full respect”.

 "It has been the endeavour of the Samajwadi Party to stitch an alliance with smaller parties. Naturally, we are going to forge an alliance with the party of uncle Shivpal Yadav as well. Samajwadi Party will give him full respect," Akhilesh had said.

 Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was caught between a massive inner-party revolt after his son Akhilesh and his brother Shivpal Yadav clashed over who will take over the party's reins in early 2017. The family feud spiralled out of control with Mulayam Singh siding with his brother Shivpal, throwing out then-UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years. The SP was divided in two ahead of the crucial 2017 UP elections as both Mulayam and Akhilesh released a separate list of 235 candidates for the polls.