Samajwadi crisis: Shivpal upset, may float another party

Mulayam said Shivpal was not in Lucknow on the day of the press meet, he was, in fact, at his residence just a few metres away. (File Photo)

Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s decision to stick with the party has not gone down well with his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav who could now independently start a new party, sources said. “Mulayam’s move has made Shivpal believe that he has been ditched. He had already announced a secular front under Mulayam’s leadership but when he (Mulayam) declined this at the last moment, Shivpal decided to skip the press meet (on Monday),” said a leader close to Shivpal.

According to sources, the night before the press conference at Ram Manohar Lohia Trust in Lucknow, Mulayam had sent Shivpal the text of the speech he was to give on Monday. In it, he had written of having been “insulted” when he was not invited to the state party convention last week. The “statement”, which read a new political party was being formed, was even circulated on social media.  At the press meet, however, Mulayam pitched his party workers to strengthen the SP led by his son Akhilesh Yadav.

According to sources, he tried to convince Shivpal to stay on and keep his Jaswant Nagar Assembly seat, from where he won five times and which he would lose if he were to defect under the anti-defection law. Shivpal, they said, refused and did not accompany Mulayam to the press meet. The two brothers haven’t met since said sources. And while Mulayam said Shivpal was not in Lucknow on the day of the press meet, he was, in fact, at his residence just a few metres away.

While Shivpal refused to meet or even speak on the phone when contacted, a close confidant said, “Netaji (Mulayam) said that he does not agree with Akhilesh’s decisions and also that a person who could not keep his word will never succeed. But he also said that he was with the SP and urged people to support the party. This was a clear message of strengthening Akhilesh. In such a situation, Shivpal is left with no other option but to choose a different path if he has to continue in politics and also for his son’s political career.”

The latest development comes as a blow to Shivpal who had received his older brother’s moral support throughout the crisis that plagued the SP during the last year. The relationship between Akhilesh and Shivpal purportedly hit rock bottom when Shivpal’s attempts at merging the Quami Ekta Dal (QED) with the party were scuttled. Mulayam, in the presence of Akhilesh, had even addressed party workers on August 15, 2016, saying the SP would split if Shivpal left.

Later, Mulayam replaced Akhilesh with Shivpal as SP state unit chief. Then chief minister Akhilesh hit back by divesting Shivpal of all government portfolios. Until Akhilesh took over SP’s reigns from his father, Shivpal was considered to have a strong hold over party workers, second only to Mulayam with whom he had been working for decades.

As recent as last week Mulayam replaced Akhilesh supporters in the Lohia Trust with those from his and Shivpal’s camp.