Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president Shivpal Singh Yadav on Saturday created a stir by saying “he has not been invited to the meeting of the Samajwadi party MLAs”.
Shivpal Yadav had contested the recent assembly election on the symbol of SP.
The Samajwadi Party, however, clarified that the meeting of the MLAs and leaders of the allies of the SP would be held here on March 28 and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav would preside over the meeting.
The SP had convened the meeting of its 111 newly-elected MLAs to elect the leader of its legislative party and review its performance in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and plan for the upcoming legislative council polls.
The polling for the UP Legislative Council from the local bodies constituencies will be held on April 9.
“I was not invited to the SP meeting. I waited for two days and cancelled all my programmes for this meeting but I was not invited. I am an MLA of Samajwadi Party but still I was not invited (to the meeting). I am going to Etawah today,” Shivpal Yadav said.
Responding to Shivpal Yadav, SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel said, “Shivpal Yadav is the leader of an ally party. Alliance leaders have been called for a meeting on March 28.”
In the recently-held polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party retained power in the state by winning 255 of the 403 assembly seats, while the SP won 111 seats.
After the results, Shivpal had blamed the BJP for their defeat. “Our (SP alliance) seats and vote percentage have increased in the election. The people of the state did not defeat the SP. It was because of BJP’s dishonesty and cunningness that we lost,” he had alleged.
Earlier, the meeting of the SP legislators was scheduled to be held on March 21, but it was rescheduled to March 26 because of the nominations for the legislative council elections, SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary had said.
The presence of all MLAs and MLCs was mandatory.