Akhilesh Yadav Patches Up With Estranged Uncle Shivpal, Alliance Announced

Shivpal Yadav, broke away from the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2017 elections and formed his own party, has indicated for long that he is interested in an alliance. But there has been no reciprocation from his nephew Akhilesh Yadav.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is emerging as the big challenger to the BJP ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, has agreed to mend fences with his estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav. The 66-year-old, who broke away from the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2017 elections and formed his own party -- the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia -- has indicated for long that he is interested in an alliance. But there has been no reciprocation from his nephew.After a meeting his uncle in Lucknow today, Akhilesh Yadav announced the alliance.

"There was a meeting with the National President of PSPL and the matter of alliance was decided. The policy of taking regional parties along is continuously strengthening the SP and leading the SP and other allies to a historic victory," he tweeted in Hindi.

Akhilesh Yadav, who rallies have been drawing increasingly bigger crowds, has been interested in bringing as many smaller parties on board as possible. Already, he has effected tie-ups with Janwadi Party (Socialist), Om Prakash Rajbhar's SBSP, Keshav Dev Maurya's Mahan Dal, the Apna Dal faction led by Krishna Patel and Jayant Chowdhury's Rashtriya Lok Dal.

Shivpal Yadav's party has influence on just a few seats in Etawah, but as a wily political veteran, his inputs are likely to help the Samajwadi Party strategy sessions.