Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder Shivpal Singh Yadav has announced to contest the coming Lok Sabha election from Firozabad constituency.
Akshay Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, is the sitting MP from Firozabad. Ram Gopal Yadav in is the Akhilesh Yadav camp ever since the feud in the SP first family erupted in 2016.
Addressing a public meeting in Firozabad on Saturday, Shivpal Yadav said, “People of this district want me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Firozabad and I will not disappoint them.”
“Neither did I nor did Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) ever consider Mayawati as sister. Then how is Akhilesh calling her ‘bua’?” he said and added, “Mayawati cannot be trusted as she used to call SP government ‘gundo ki sarkar’.”
Shivpal also took a jibe at his nephew and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying that he “deceived his father and uncle”.
“No government can be formed in 2019 without the support of our party. In 2022, the PSPL will form its government in Lucknow,” he exuded confidence.
Lashing out at Akhilesh Yadav, the PSPL chief said he had never sought any high rank post in the SP nor a minister’s berth but his nephew sidelined him.
“I only wanted respect but I was separated (from the party) as part of a conspiracy. How can we trust a person (Akhilesh Yadav) who has deceived his father and uncle? I had to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) out of compulsion.”
Samajwadi Party MLA from Sirsaganj, Hari Om Yadav, has also announced to support Shivpal Yadav. Sirsaganj is one of the assembly segments of Firozabad Lok Sabha constituency. The rebel SP MLA in a statement lashed out at Ram Gopal Yadav, the Rajya Sabha member of Samajwadi Party, saying he had destroyed the party in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Hari Om Yadav alleged that Ram Gopal Yadav was doing all this at the behest of the BJP only to save his skin from the CBI. He alleged that Ram Gopal Yadav and his son Akshay Yadav were involved in Yadav Singh case being investigated by the CBI.
Shivpal Yadav is believed to have considerable influence in Firozabad and adjoining districts and is capable of giving a tough fight to his nephew Akshay Yadav.
Shivpal Yadav’s party will be contesting all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP in the coming elections. However, he will not field any candidate against elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.
PSPL was floated in 2018 following Shivpal’s growing differences with Akhilesh. The formation of the new party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections was seen as an attempt to dent the SP votes.