Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president and Samajwadi Party MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav expressed his frustration with the style of function of his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, saying Akhilesh was “immature”.
He said Akhilesh Yadav had inflicted huge damage to the Samajwadi Party.
Shivpal Yadav’s remarks against the Samajwadi Party chief came a day after the PSPL president attended a dinner hosted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in honour of National Democratic Alliance presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
“I was invited by the chief minister on Friday so I attended the dinner. We met Droupadi Murmu and we have decided that we will vote for her,” Shivpal Yadav said even as his nephew was supporting the opposition candidate for the presidential elections, Yashwant Sinha.
The 67-year-old leader also did not hesitate from taking a fresh dig at his nephew. “It seems that because of political immaturity, the Samajwadi Party is getting weaker. A lot of people are leaving. If our suggestions had been heeded, the Samajwadi Party would have been in a better position,” he said.
Shivpal Yadav had contested the UP assembly election from Jaswantnagar and won the seat amid assumptions that his differences with Akhilesh Yadav had been settled. The two leaders had bitter fallout over control of the party before the 2017 assembly elections.
Weeks after the 2022 assembly election results were declared, they again seemed to be at loggerheads when it was alleged that Shivpal Yadav was not invited to a key party meeting. In April, Akhilesh was slammed by his uncle over a remark about reported meetings with the BJP leaders.
“It's an irresponsible comment. I contested the election on the symbol of the Samajwadi Party. If they think they need to take a decision immediately then they can expel me from the legislature party,” Shivpal Yadav had said.
“Whenever there was a discussion about samajwad (socialism), it was about Dr Ram Manohar Lohia or Jayaprakash Narayan. But when I see writings on Dr Lohia, now I see Shivpal Singh Yadav. People should read about Dr Ram Manohar Lohia. Your (Shivpal) style of work gives you identity. But samajwad has been made a mirage,” the chief minister had said.
The presidential elections are scheduled for July 18.