Akhilesh Yadav downplays uncle Shivpal's revolt

Downplaying the recent revolt by his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said "political missiles" of this sort get fired when elections are near.

"A lot of things, political missiles will be fired at election time. There is no annoyance and we respect uncle," Akhilesh Yadav said at a media house event here.

 Asked about Shivpal Yadav's announcement that his just-launched Samajwadi Secular Morcha will contest all 80 parliamentary seats in 2019, the SP leader said, "Good."

He claimed the development showed there was no nepotism in the Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal Yadav had formed the new front after complaining that he had been sidelined by nephew Akhilesh Yadav, who became the Samajwadi Party's national president last year.

 Akhilesh Yadav said the SP has a big responsibility in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and predicted a "historic" result, if the people help.