Lucknow: Keeping everyone in guessing mode over joining Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has dared the latter to expel him.
While talking to media on Thursday, Shivpal Yadav said that SP chief is free to expel him from the legislature party as he thinks I am in touch with BJP leaders. Challenging Akhilesh to take action against him, Shivpal said that he is one among the 111 newly elected legislators of the Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh has every right to expel me if I am hobnobbing with BJP, said Shivpal.
It may be mentioned that Shivpal has been elected legislator from Jaswantnagar assembly seat in the recently held UP elections on SP symbol. Shivpal Yadav, once a prominent leader of SP had floated his own party in the name of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) in 2018 after his relationship with nephew Akhilesh turned soar over the control on the party. However, in the 2022 assembly polls, Shivpal had joined hands with Akhilesh again and contested on SP symbol.
However, soon after the assembly elections were over Shivpal started showing inclinations towards BJP. He was said to have been annoyed after not being invited in the meeting of SP legislators. Besides, he was also not happy with Akhilesh becoming leader of opposition in UP assembly. Shivpal had met with the UP CM Yogi and few senior leader of BJP recently. However, he is yet to open cards about joining BJP and leaving SP camp.
Recently Om Prakash Rajbhar, an ally of SP, had claimed that Shivpal would remain with him and would contest 2024 parliament elections together. When asked about Rajbhar’s claim on Thursday, Shivpal said he did not have any discussion with him in this regard. He even mocked Rajbhar and said that maybe he had spoken to someone else.
Regarding his joining BJP, Shivpal said that he would apprise everyone before doing so. He said that there is no question of hiding anything but the time has yet not come.
