Uttar Pradesh Key Candidate

Shivpal Yadav is the national president of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) and is contesting from his Jaswant Nagar seat once again as a Samajwadi Party candidate. He earlier split from the SP after a long family feud with nephew Akhilesh. But, Shivpal and Akhilesh reunited after a gap of nearly five years, and his PSP-L is now one of the SP allies contesting the polls. Shivpal is a five-time MLA from Jaswant Nagar since 1996 after he inherited the seat from SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. He was the PWD and irrigation minister when the family feud broke out. He was so powerful during the regime of Mulayam Singh Yadav, he was often referred to as the de facto chief minister.