U.P.: Akhilesh calls on Shivpal amid ‘big role’ speculation for uncle in SP

The two, the SP sources said, discussed the party organisation’s strengthening and strategies over a 45-minute tea session

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday evening met uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav at the latter’s residence here amid speculation that the Jaswantnagar MLA would be given a major responsibility in the party.

Akhilesh and SP chief national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav have repeatedly talked about assigning a big role to Shivpal ever since he politically reunited with the family. (HT file)

The two, the SP sources said, discussed the party organisation’s strengthening and strategies over a 45-minute tea session. Akhilesh and party’s chief national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav have repeatedly talked about assigning a big role to Shivpal ever since he politically reunited with the family in the run-up to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypolls which SP candidate Dimple Yadav won last month.

Subsequently, Shivpal also merged his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) with the SP. The Jaswantnagar MLA had formed the PSP-L in 2018 after being sidelined by the Samajwadi Party in 2016. Meanwhile, a senior SP leader, while talking about Monday’s meeting between Akhilesh and Shivpal, said: “This is nothing new anymore. Last week, they had dined together.”