Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a jab at Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, who is also Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle, prompting a strong response in the Assembly this morning. At the start of his speech in the House, Mr. Adityanath congratulated Samajwadi Party veteran Mata Prasad Pandey, who succeeded Akhilesh Yadav as the Leader of the Opposition after Akhilesh was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj in the recent general election.
Addressing Mr Pandey, the Chief Minister said, “You have served twice as the Speaker of this House. I congratulate you on your selection. It’s a different matter that you tricked chacha (uncle).” Mr Adityanath was referring to Shivpal Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle, who was seated next to Mr Pandey. “Chacha always gets tricked like this. This is his destiny because the nephew is always scared,” he said. Shivpal Yadav was seen smiling.
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The veteran leader waited for his turn. When he rose to speak, he said, “I was not tricked, Pandey ji is very senior.” Addressing the treasury benches, he said, “I was in touch with you for three years. You tricked me too,” he said, as MLAs cutting across party lines, including the Chief Minister, burst into laughter.
Shivpal Yadav then criticized the BJP’s underwhelming performance in Uttar Pradesh during this election. “You tricked me, you lagged behind in this election and Samajwadi Party stormed ahead. Mark my words, Samajwadi Party will come to power in the 2027 (state polls) and your Deputy Chief Minister will trick you,” he said.
The seasoned leader’s comments came amidst internal tensions within the state BJP. Demonstrating a unified stance, the Chief Minister, flanked by Deputy Chief Ministers Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, addressed the media before the Assembly session began yesterday.
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Shivpal Yadav, the youngest brother of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and founder of the Samajwadi Party, has been an MLA for nearly three decades. He has also served as a state minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Currently, he is the National General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party.
Around 2017, as Akhilesh Yadav was gaining political prominence and taking control of the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal Yadav left the party to establish the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party. In 2022, he reconciled with his nephew Akhilesh, rejoined the Samajwadi Party, and merged his party with it.
