UP Assembly Polls 2022: Alliance speculation stoked with Akhilesh-Shivpal meet

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday met his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav at his residence fuelling speculation of their joining hands once again before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Akhilesh reached Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder's residence in the afternoon and had closed door talks with him for about 40 minutes.

Hundreds of supporters of both parties gathered outside Shivpal's residence raising slogan "Chacha-Bhatija zindabad".

SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was present at Shivpal's residence before Akhilesh reached there, PTI reports quoting SP sources.

Though there is no official word regarding the meeting by the two parties, it assumes significance ahead of the assembly polls.

While Akhilesh is insisting that he would give due honour to his "uncle" and his partymen, Shivpal has in the past announced he is even ready to merge his party with the SP. Akhilesh Yadav had also maintained that he would have an alliance with his uncle but had avoided meeting or talking to him, setting off speculations about their relationship.

Though both the leaders did not speak to the media, sources said that they had discussed an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) and agreed to the same.

"The meeting was held without aides and in a cordial and emotional atmosphere. More such meetings will be held to work out the modalities in the coming days," IANS reports quoting a source.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had been repeatedly asking the two leaders to mend fences before the elections.

The relationship between uncle and nephew had gone sour in 2016 with the sacking of Shivpal by Akhilesh when he was Chief Minister. Akhilesh became the SP President in Jan 2017 and Shivpal formed his own party.

Reacting to the meet, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the meeting will not impact BJP's prospects in the polls.

"BJP is going to form majority government again in 2022 by winning over 300 seats. Whether there was a meeting of 'Chacha' Bhatija' or 'Bua' 'Bhatija' or SP or Congress or all of them, only lotus (BJP's election symbol) will bloom," he said.