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Will it be another son-rise in SP this LS poll in Uttar Pradesh?
Party national general secretary Shivpal Yadav drops hints at the fielding of his son Aditya from Buduan from where the former is current party candidate
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The Samajwadi Party (SP) may see another ‘son-rise’ this Lok Sabha poll season in Uttar Pradesh as the party is likely to change its Budaun candidate yet again, replacing party national general secretary Shivpal Yadav with his son Aditya Yadav.
Shivpal made the indication in Budaun on Tuesday, telling reporters when asked about speculations: “The workers’ conference here (in Budaun) today has passed the proposal (for Aditya as the candidate). The proposal will now go to the national leadership...The national leadership is likely to give its nod.” Former Budaun MP Dharmendra Yadav accompanied Shivpal on the occasion.
“This indicates that the SP has already agreed and the proposal from the workers’ conference is only a move to make it look like a democratic and political decision than the family decision,” said an SP observer. Earlier in the day, Shivpal said: “Jisey janata chaahegi, vahi namankan karega (the one whom people want will file nomination).”
Sources say Shivpal has told Akhilesh that he would prefer his son to contest from the seat. Two days earlier, Shivpal also commented: “The party should give opportunity to young leaders.” Aditya Yadav has been a constant companion of off his father in the latter’s 2017 and 2022 Jaswantnagar assembly polls campaign.
The party’s original plan was to make Aditya contest the Jaswantnagar bypoll if Shivpal wins Budaun. However, Shivpal intends to stay Jaswantnagar MLA which he has won seven times in a row since 1996. Sources say after over three weeks of constant campaigning by the father-son duo in Budaun, the local SP unit and former Budaun SP MP Dharmendra Yadav have also supported the Shivpal’s idea.
Budaun will go to the polls in the third phase on May 7. The nomination will start on April 12 and end on April 19. Sources close to Shivpal say he is of the view that the SP that has launched several Yadav family members should give a chance to Aditya too.
As per party sources, Shivpal was not in a mood to enter the poll fray from Budaun. After the death of the sitting Sambhal MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq wanted the ticket from that seat, they add. Budaun is considered an SP stronghold. However, in the 2019 LS polls, BJP’s Sanghmitra Maurya had defeated SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav who failed to retain the seat.
