Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president Shivpal Singh Yadav has said that opposition unity in Uttar Pradesh is possible only if their leaders show "maturity" like the one witnessed in Bihar.

On the possibility of any such alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president said, "Firstly, there should be maturity among leaders. Until and unless there is maturity among them, nothing can happen." 

Asked about the chance of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emerging as the opposition’s face against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said, "Nitish became the chief minister for the eighth time. He is senior and along with that he is an old socialist."

When asked whether he would take the initiative to forge unity among political parties in UP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Shivpal Yadav said there was still some time for it.

"We are a small party and at present we are strengthening our organisation," he said.

Of late, Shivpal Yadav has been attacking his nephew and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for not showing political maturity in handling his alliance partners in UP. Shivpal Yadav, who himself won the recent UP polls on SP ticket, parted ways with the party after prolonged bickering following the opposition’s defeat in the assembly polls earlier this year.

Shivpal Yadav had played an active role some years back when Mulayam Singh Yadav had made an attempt to bring together leaders sharing a common socialist background. Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad as well as former Union minister Sharad Yadav had made an effort to bring the socialists together.