Yadav infighting continues even as effort continues to forge a 'secular alliance' in the upcoming UP Polls.
Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Monday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the latter's official residence in Lucknow.
Earlier during the day, Akhilesh said any decision on a grand alliance for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will be taken by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and stressed that he would give his suggestions only at party platform. Kishor earlier on November 1 met Mulayam who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties.
Putting an end to all speculations over the Congress allying with the Samajwadi Party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, party's state in-charge Raj Babbar yesterday categorically stated that there has been no talk so far with regard to entering into an alliance to contest next year's polls.
According to reports, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has conveyed the message that his party is ready to form a grand alliance with Samajwadi Party if Akhilesh emerges as a consensus face within the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party.
On the possibility of a grand alliance, state Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav said, "When it materialises, I will tell you." Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihars grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there. The grand alliance of Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress had, however, scripted a major electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA.
Shivpal attacks Akhilesh again
In yet another salvo at nephew and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, ruling Samajwadi Party's state unit president Shivpal Yadav on Monday said he was dropped from the ministry as he had opposed those doing illegal work.
"I had protested those doing illegal work and land grabbing. That is why I am out of the ministry," he said. Shivpal was sacked by Akhilesh from his ministry last month amid unprecedented crisis in the ruling party and the Yadav clan. "I will continue to raise my voice against those doing illegal works and am always with those who are doing good work -- be it religious or anything else," he said at Kalki Mahotsava here.
Shivpal, the younger brother of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, has been at loggerheads with Akhilesh and two have sparred publicly in the recent past. On October 23, Akhilesh sacked Shivpal along with three other pro-Amar Singh ministers, pushing the ruling party to the brink of a split.
The action stirred a political crisis in the party ahead of the Assembly polls in the state early next year as the tense stand-off between Akhilesh and Shivpal gave rise to intense speculation about a possible split in SP.
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