Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday dropped hints of a possible truce with his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who parted company with the party and has floated his own political outfit.
The SP chief also hinted that his party may withdraw the application seeking the disqualification of Shivpal Singh Yadav Assembly under the anti-defection law.
The development is significant as the SP is gearing up for the 2022 UP Assembly elections.
Akhilesh Yadav, at a press conference here, said, “Doors are always open for everyone; we will take everyone back without a second thought. There is democracy in our family, all the members are free to follow the ideology they want to. Unless we grow our family how will we contest elections?”
Akhilesh’s reaction came after a statement by Shivpal Yadav in Mainpuri on Friday that hinted at the possibility of a truce.
When asked whether there was any possibility of truce in the family, Shivpal said, “From my side there is no problem and possibilities are wide open but there are certain forces which had conspired to drive a wedge between us and they are against the unity in the family.”
The speculation of uncle and nephew coming together has been rife since the bad performance of Samajwadi Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Akhilesh has led the SP to its worst defeats. In 2014, when he was chief minister, the SP ended up with just five Lok Sabha seats, In 2017, when he became party president, the SP was reduced to 47 seats in the 403-member UP Assembly. And in 2019, despite allying with Bahujan Samaj Party, the SP could just retain five seats in the Lok Sabha.
After the Lok Sabha results came, Akhilesh has been turning to his father for advice and guidance — something he did not do in the past. The senior Yadav, to begin with, has asked Akhilesh to reconnect with non-Yadav leaders in the party and demolish the perception that SP is an all-Yadav party.
Mulayam Singh Yadav also wanted senior leaders in the party to be involved in decision-making and asked Akhilesh to ensure the return of leaders who had left the party in the past two years.
If informed sources are to be believed, Mulayam Singh Yadav has asked his son to build bridges with his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav.
Shivpal Yadav, who floated his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) last year after a prolonged feud with Akhilesh Yadav, failed to make his presence felt in the Lok Sabha elections. Shivpal lost from Firozabad and none of his candidates could even come second in the polls.
According to sources, Shivpal Yadav has softened his stand towards Akhilesh but wants “issues and hearts to be clear” before he agrees to return to SP.
“These elections have a message for Akhilesh as well as Shivpal. They should realise that if united they will stand and if divided they will fall. Mulayam wants his son and brother to reunite so that the party remains relevant,” said a senior SP leader known for his proximity to Mulayam Singh Yadav.
