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Lucknow, March 19
An interesting contest is being promised in Firozabad where Ram Goal Yadav’s son and sitting Samajwadi Party MP Akshay Yadav, representing the SP-BSP-RLD alliance, is clashing with uncle and convener of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Shivpal Singh Yadav.
It is clearly the first time that two members of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s political dynasty are directly clashing with each other. With Shivpal Yadav’s party formally announcing his candidature from Firozabad on Tuesday, it has become clear that it would be a fight to watch out for.
The open rivalry between Akshay’s father Ram Gopal and Shivapal is no secret. Neither is the fact that in the bitterly fought family feud, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav decided to back his father’s cousin Ram Gopal rather than his father’s own brother and close aide Shivpal.
While Shivpal had a firm control over the Samajwadi Party’s organisation, Akshay and even his father remain to be outsiders to the party organisation and grassroots politics.
However, Yadavs and Jats dominate the Firozabad constituency. As the Jat-dominated RLD is backing the SP-BSP alliance, which has fielded Akshay, it remains to be seen who would win this prestigious battle. Meanwhile, Shivpal’s party today claimed it has the support of the Apna Dal faction led by Krishna Patel, days after that party announced a tie-up with the Congress.
The PSP-L also announced a pact with Mohamed Ayub-led Peace Party in UP for the LS polls. The Apna Dal faction, however, has not made clear whom it will support if both the Congress and Shivpal Yadav’s party are contesting in the same constituency. While the PSP-L said it is not averse to an alliance with the Congress as well to fight the BJP.
Apna Dal (Krishna Patel) spokesman RBS Patel parried a direct reply. “We have a pact for seats with the Congress but we are giving policy-based support to all secular and like-minded parties,” he said. — TNS