Monsoon session is going on in UP Assembly and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s style of cornering SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav once again in the House is in discussion. Actually, Mata Prasad Pandey, who was made the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, asked a question to CM Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday. On this, CM Yogi first congratulated Pandey on getting the responsibility and took a dig at SP leader Shivpal Yadav. Without taking Shivpal’s name, CM Yogi said, “I congratulate you (Mata Prasad Pandey) for your selection. Okay – this is a different matter that you have fooled uncle (about Shivpal Singh Yadav). Uncle is always like this. He gets beaten because his nephew (SP President Akhilesh Yadav) is always afraid, but I respect you.
On this, Shivpal replied and said, “We have not found any fault because Mata Prasad ji is very senior. We had also put forward his name for the Speaker. However, we have been in touch with you (CM Yogi Adityanath) for three years.” You have also cheated us. But in 2027, both the Deputy CMs (in reference to Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak) will cheat you. In Delhi, Akhilesh Yadav also clarified, “I have not cheated anyone.” He (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) has cheated Delhi.
However, this is not the first time that CM Yogi has attacked Shivpal in an atmosphere of laughter and fun in the House. Earlier in February, when the budget session was going on, CM Yogi had said, for SP, PDA means authority. But in that, injustice to Chachu (Shivpal Yadav). Left uncle. Chachu kept rubbing continuously. If he had believed in Ram, he would not have sidelined Chachu. At least read Mahabharata. Is uncle not a part of PDA?
Know what answer Shivpal gave?
Shivpal Yadav had said, “Suddenly the Leader of the House (Yogi Adityanath) gets worried about me.” It seems as if ‘Discussion on Uncle’ program is going on in the House. Through you (Speaker of the House) I would like to say that uncle was, is and will remain a part of PDA. Were, are and will always be socialists. Akhilesh’s uncle was, is and will always be. More than my concern, there should be concern about my colleagues who have just changed their hearts and parties. Otherwise they will come back again.
In fact, in the last few years, there has been a volatile atmosphere within SP regarding Shivpal Singh Yadav. There came a time when there was a dispute regarding the post of State President and there was a rift in the Yadav clan. Shivpal formed a separate party and opened a front against Akhilesh. Last year, when SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away, unity was once again seen in the family and an attempt was made to convey the message of all is well in the family. After all, who are those ‘gachas’ of Shivpal Singh Yadav’s life, about whom CM Yogi Adityanath was talking in the House? Learn…
What was the dispute regarding the state president?
This is from 2016. There was SP government in UP and the Chief Minister and State President was Akhilesh Yadav. The command of the party was in the hands of Akhilesh’s father i.e. late Mulayam Singh Yadav. Assembly elections were to be held in 2017. There was discord in the ruling SP regarding the ticket. There was a conflict going on between Akhilesh and uncle Shivpal for a long time. In October 2016, there had been a squabble between the two on a public platform. Mulayam snatched the responsibility of SP state president from Akhilesh and gave it to his younger brother Shivpal. Angered by this, Akhilesh expelled Shivpal from the cabinet. Fight started again in the family over ticket distribution dispute.
Angered Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and brother and General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party on 30 December 2016. After that, Akhilesh made a new strategy and called the national convention of SP with 212 MLAs on 1 January 2017 at Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow. In this session, Akhilesh carried out a coup in the party and himself became the president of the party. In this convention, a proposal to remove Shivpal Singh Yadav from the post of SP state president was also included. The initiator of this convention was party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. He had called a national convention under the party constitution. Akhilesh group knew very well that Shivpal Yadav would not come to the convention. Later this matter reached the Election Commission and the decision was taken in favor of Akhilesh Yadav faction.
Just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shivpal Yadav formed the Samajwadi Front. Later he transformed his front into Progressive Samajwadi Party (Lohia). Shivpal Yadav himself contested the Firozabad seat. This seat is traditionally considered to belong to Ramgopal Yadav’s son Akshay Yadav. However, when the results came, both uncle and nephew had to face defeat. Shivpal could get only one lakh votes. While the deposits of his party’s candidates on the remaining seats were confiscated. After this election, Shivpal also realized that he had become weak by separating from SP. Praspa could not show charisma even in the 2022 assembly elections.
First speculation in by-election, then ticket to son in general election
When SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away on 10 October 2022, the family was seen united again. From consolation to rituals, Shivpal Yadav was seen standing with Akhilesh. Gradually the ice on relations melted and Shivpal announced the merger of his Praspa with SP. Akhilesh also made Shivpal the national general secretary of SP. There were speculations regarding the by-election on Mainpuri seat, which was vacant due to the death of Mulayam, that Shivpal Yadav could be the candidate. However, Akhilesh declared his wife Dimple as the candidate and Shivpal Yadav also took charge of the election campaign for Dimple Yadav, working day and night. Shivpal said that whatever election will be held now, our entire family will fight as one. After that, Shivpal Yadav’s stature started increasing again in Samajwadi Party.
Recently, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was once again discussed that the party can make Shivpal Yadav a candidate from Bandayu. Meanwhile, Akhilesh gave ticket to Dharmendra Yadav from Badaun. However, due to reports of opposition, Dharmendra’s ticket was canceled and uncle Shivpal Yadav was made the candidate from Badaun. But when Shivpal did not reach Badaun within 18 days of the announcement of the ticket, the party nominated his son Aditya Yadav in place of Shivpal and he won.
And now Leader of Opposition Shivpal is out of the race…
This time Akhilesh Yadav also contested the general elections. He contested elections from Kannauj seat. After the victory, he left the membership of the Assembly. He was MLA from Karhal. Akhilesh was the leader of opposition in the assembly. There was discussion that Akhilesh wants to choose the face of the opposition in view of the 2027 elections. However, the ambitions of uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav may also come in his way. Speculations were also made that Akhilesh may hand over his chair to Shivpal Singh Yadav and give him the responsibility of Leader of Opposition. Two days ago, the party took a shocking decision and made Brahmin face Mata Prasad Pandey the leader of the opposition.