On the occasion of his 63rd birthday Shivpal Yadav, the warring uncle of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, moved a step closer towards chartering an independent political course even as he maintained that has no plans to defect to the Congress or float new political party any time soon. The birthday celebrations turned out to be a show of strength by the dissidents of the Samajwadi Party here on Monday.
“Right now I am in the Samajwadi Party. Even a week is a long time in politics, the Lok Sabha elections are a year away and I will decide my future course of action at the appropriate moment’’, Shivpal Yadav told the media here on Monday.
Akhilesh Yadav, party MLAs, MLCs many of them former cronies of Shivpal Yadav and office bearers of the party organisation were conspicuous by their absence and none turned up to wish him on his birthday. Akhilesh Yadav however conveyed his good wishes through media during brief interaction at the Janeshwar Mishra park here on Monday. Shivpal Yadav visited his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav at his residence to seek his blessings.
Thousands of supporters of Shivpal Yadav gathered at his residence located close to the state office of the party at Vikramaditya Marg and later at the office of the Lohia trust also located adjacent to the state office of the party. Shivpal Yadav is the secretary of the Lohia trust. The huge turnout of the supporters of Shivpal Yadav from across the state sends a clear message to the SP leadership that Shivpal Yadav may be down but not out and commands considerable support of the grassroots cadre of the party.
The birthday of the senior Samajwadi party leader was celebrated as Rs Satat Sangharsh Diwas (relentless struggle) at the office of the Lohia trust. The premise of the Lohia trust was decorated for the occasion and a stage was also set up for the meeting. Addressing the meeting Shivpal Yadav launched veiled attack on his nephew Akhilesh Yadav.
“Though the Samajwadi party is the main opposition party in state assembly, it seems to have given walk over to the BJP Government and has failed to perform the role of the opposition party. The Yogi Adityanath Government is working in most arbitrary manner and there is no opposition to the anti people policies of the BJP Government at any level’’, said Shivpal Yadav.
Launching a veiled attack on Akhilesh Yadav, the SP leader said “the singular reason for the present state of despair and indecision in the party is only due to those who lack the vision and political maturity to take decisions and they also prevent others from taking the initiative’’. Shviapal Yadav added “the result of such situation were disastrous for the party and our tally was reduced to mere 47 seats in state assembly in 2017 state assembly elections’’.
Contradicting the media reports about his possible defection to the Congress Shviapal Yadav said “ there is no substances in media reports and I never made any statement to this affect’’. He however added “Lok Sabha elections are a year away and we will cross the bridge when we come to it and right now I am in the Samajwadi party’’.
Shivpal Yadav, SP MLA from Jaswant nagar assembly seat said “Mulayam Singh Yadav will contest the next Lok Sabha election from Mainpuri and will win the election from a huge margin’’. Jaswantnagar seat is one of the assembly segments of Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. After the celebrations in Lucknow Shvipal Yadav later in the day left for Etawah where cultural programme has been organized at the Vrindavan gardens on the occasion of his birthday.