After reconciliation with nephew Akhilesh Yadav, the tone of senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav has now changed as he said in Ballia that he had accepted his nephew Akhilesh Yadav as his leader and SP as his party.
Talking to journalists, Shivpal Yadav said: "Akhilesh Yadav is my nephew but he is also SP president. I have accepted him as my leader. I have not asked for any post as I am not hankering for a party post."
Expressing his resolve to overthrow the Bharatiya Janata Party government, Shivpal Yadav said that the people would come out on the streets against the policies of the government, which were anti-poor and anti-people.
On the question of forming an opposition front, Shivpal Yadav said that the SP alone was capable of removing the BJP.
"Our aim is to defeat BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and 2027 assembly polls. We are true followers of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna and will win this dharma yuddha," he said.
When asked about Varun Gandhi joining the SP, he said whoever wanted to remove the corrupt BJP government was welcome in the party.
Shivpal Yadav said that SP had formed government four times in Uttar Pradesh and they knew how to respect opposition parties. "But the present BJP government is busy in eliminating the opposition. Campaign is being run across the state against the opposition," he said.
"In fact, this BJP government is the most corrupt government the state has ever had. Today the entire bureaucracy is mired in corruption. No development work is being done anywhere in the state. The chief minister and his ministers are only doing lip service," Shivpal Yadav said.
Talking about his party's strategy, he said that SP would concentrate on strengthening the organisation. "We will hold meetings and organise protests against the government," he added. Dozens of SP leaders, including former ministers Ambika Chaudhary, Narad Rai, Sanatan Pandey, district panchayat chairperson Anand Chaudhary, former chairperson Sanjay Upadhyay were present during the press conference.