Shivpal Singh Yadav, chief of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), the uncle of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, has said the his nephew was his leader.
Shivpal Singh said along with Akhilesh he was working for the formation of Samajwadi Party government after the 2022 UP assembly elections.
“Akhilesh Yadav is a mature person now and my only aim is to make him the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. There is no point in talking about the old contentious issues and now there is no infighting in the party and the family’ everybody is looking ahead to form the next government,” Shivpal Yadav said here on Sunday.
“Akhilesh has been the chief minister and is a four-time MP, and he has been in opposition and he has experience of over two decades and is more mature now. I don’t want to talk about old things. I want to move ahead now. Our main aim is to make Akhilesh the chief minister of UP in 2022,” he said.
Shivpal Yadav said, “No doubt Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) is the most ‘dumdar’ (powerful) politician. Now the time has come to make bhatija (nephew) dumdar,”
Asked why he had not foreseen infighting within the party, Shivpal said, “There was nothing to foresee, I have always listened to what Netaji has said. There was never a fight in the party or in the family.”
On seat sharing formula with the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal Yadav said, “We have always been a samajwadi and worked for socialist society, we have been associated with the SP for decades.”
He said the allegation of dynastic politics against the SP was baseless and “we have fought for the people and given up many things before finally achieving what we have today”.
Talking about the party’s symbol issue, the PSPL leader said, “Our symbol is not with us anymore, now we will be fighting in alliance. Whatever we decide will be as per strategy, our sole aim is to throw out the Bharatiya Janata Party and make Akhilesh the next chief minister of UP. We will discuss within the party and with Akhilesh about a merger.”