KANPUR After his reunion with nephew Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) founder Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday exhorted people to call the Samajwadi Party chief as “Chhote Netaji” as they used to call party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav as “Netaji”.
“Everyone called him (Mulayam Singh Yadav) Netaji, I want people here and all over the country to refer to Akhilesh Yadav as ‘Chhote Netaji’,” he said addressing a public meeting at Bharatiya Kothi in Etawah while campaigning in support of SP candidate and Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav on the Mainpuri seat, which fell vacant due to the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“This is the first election after the demise of Netaji. The kind of love and affection you showered on him should be extended to Chhote Netaji. She (Dimple Yadav) is my bahu and is a contestant in the election. I appeal to the people of Mainpuri to help her win the bypoll with an unprecedented margin,” he added.
The issue of succession had led to a fallout between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav with the latter walking out of the Samajwadi Party in 2017 and forming his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia.
{{/usCountry}}The issue of succession had led to a fallout between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav with the latter walking out of the Samajwadi Party in 2017 and forming his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia.
{{/usCountry}}The two leaders came together after Mulayam Singh passed away in October this year. Shivpal, who was sending out mixed signals earlier, was seen supporting Akhilesh openly. Akhilesh also signalled that he had buried the hatchet and touched his uncle’s feet several times at public events.
Akhilesh Yadav also visited his uncle’s house along with wife Dimple, whose candidature from Mainpuri was cleared after due consultation with Shivpal.
Shivpal Yadav criticised BJP candidate Raguraj Singh Shakya, who was once said to be very close to him.
“Some people call themselves ‘shishya’ (follower), but they are not. No disciple cheats the way he did. Had he been a disciple, he would not have left clandestinely but informed the guru,” said Shivpal, in an apparent attack on Shakya.
Dimple Yadav said Mainpuri was a family of Netaji and should bless her in abundance. She also advised party workers to be cautious of “tactics to stop them from voting.”
“I want to tell my young friends that do not sleep at home, be cautious and vote in large numbers on December 5,” she added.