Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday announced after meeting his estranged uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav that they were willing to contest the Uttar Pradesh elections next year jointly.
Akhilesh Yadav tweented: “Had a meeting with PSP national president and an alliance has been decided. The policy of allying with regional parties is continuously strengthening the party and is taking SP and other alliance partners towards a historical victory.”
In a sudden move, Akhilesh Yadav reached Shivpal Yadav’s house in the afternoon. A PSP leader said Akhilesh Yadav was not accompanied by any other SP leader. On some occasions, Shivpal Yadav had expressed willingness to merge his party with the SP in a bid to defeat the BJP.
This was the first meeting between the two leaders in the last five years. After being shown the doors by Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the 2017 polls, Shivpal Yadav formed his own party and contested the elections, denting the traditional vote bank of both sides.
