After months of uncertainty, the festering rift in the Samajwadi Party between party president Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav has been resolved, forging political unity of the Yadav clan of Saifai ahead of the 2022 elections after three years of acrimony, bitterness and uncertainty.
The SP president on Thursday announced that an alliance had been forged between the two after calling on Mr. Shivpal Yadav, who had formed his own party — Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) — after breaking away from Mr Akhilesh Yadav during 2016-17. Mr Shivpal Yadav had been opposed to a merger with the SP, said party sources.
“Had a meeting with the national president of PSP and fixed the matter of alliance,” Mr. Akhilesh Yadav said, tweeting a picture with his uncle standing on a staircase while he had his feet on the floor below in what appeared to be a strategic move to showcase his respect for his elder relative.
Mr. Akhilesh Yadav said the SP was constantly strengthening the policy of taking along “regional parties” and marching towards a historic victory.
While Mr. Shivpal Yadav is the sole MLA from his party from Jaswant Nagar in the Yadav family bastion of Mainpuri, forging an alliance with him gives a boost to Mr. Akhilesh Yadav’s show of unity ahead of the 2022 election. It also ensures that there is no division in the political expression of the Yadavs, the core support base of the SP especially in the Etawah-Mainpuri-Kannauj-Firozabad belt where a dissident faction led by Mr. Shivpal Yadav could have hurt the party.
In the 2017 election, besides a variety of factors, the SP campaign was marred by display of family bickering between Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Mr Shivpal Yadav proved to be a spoiler for the SP as he contested from Firozabad causing the defeat of his nephew Akshay Yadav as the BJP edged past the SP despite its alliance with the BSP. He also fielded candidates on other seats.
