Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief and estranged uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in what he claims to be a ‘courtesy visit’, NDTV reported.
While no further details of the visit have emerged, the visit assumes importance after the former UP minister skipped a meeting of Samajwadi Party (SP) allies earlier this month.
Shivpal Yadav had parted ways with the SP five years ago after a family feud and formed the PSP. Five years later, on 16 December, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had met his uncle at the latter’s residence in Lucknow and announced that they will contest UP Assembly elections together.
The PSP chief contested from Jaswantnagar seat in the Etawah district on SP’s symbol, becoming a six-time MLA.
SP made considerable gains in the 2022 assembly elections, finishing with 111 out of total 403 seats in UP. However, the state saw another saffron wave as the BJP and its allies won 273 seats.
(With inputs from NDTV.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)