Disappointed, but no new party: Shivpal Yadav

NEW DELHI/ LUCKNOW: Forming a new party will hurt each one of us, including Akhilesh, SP leader and Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal Yadav told ET. Amid the rift between chacha Shivpal and father on one side and former UP CM Akhilesh on the other, there have been speculations that Shivpal under the patronage of his elder brother Mulayam may float his own party.

Precisely an year back the party was at the centre of a big family fight over leadership in which Akhilesh assumed the post of national president from his father.

"We will not let the party go into oblivion. I will start some serious work in the next 15-30 days," Shivpal said, expressing disappointment over the party's show in the November civic elections and December Sikandara assembly bypolls in which the BJP turned victorious. "The selection of candidate could have been better - there were four mayoral seats where SP had good chances, including Allahabad, Meerut and Moradabad. In the Sikandara bypoll, change in name of the candidate at the 11th hour was responsible for SP's defeat."

Claiming that nephew Akhilesh has no grouse against him, he said, fighting the elections together is the only way forward. "We will all have to be together - vote split (in case a new party is formed) will hurt us all. I am a ground worker of SP and will continue to be. Ask Akhilesh - he can't say a word against me. As for me what can I have against him - I have taken care of him since his childhood."

As he struck a conciliatory note, he said that Akhilesh Yadav may have been misguided by people who were working in their self-interest.

Meanwhile, a close aide of Mulayam Singh Yadav said on condition of anonymity, "Netaji is in chintan (deep contemplation) over the party's drubbing in the assembly and civic polls."