Mulayam Yadav Shares Stage With Brother Shivpal for the First Time After Formation of Secular Morcha

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday appeared on the same platform with his brother Shivpal Yadav for the first time since the formation of the Samajwadi Secular Morcha, by the younger yadav.

The occasion was a function organised to mark the death anniversary of the party’s ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia.

Mulayam, who garlanded a statue of Lohia, refrained from addressing questions from media at the function which was held at the Lohia Trust in Lucknow.

However, an elated Shivpal Yadav while addressing the gathering said, “Today Neta Ji has graced us by his presence and gave his blessings and I am sure he will continue to give us his blessings in the future also,” he said.

Shivpal had earlier announced that he will not field any candidate against Mulayam but will contest on all other Lok Sabha seats of UP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Recently, Mulayam had appeared at the SP rally in Delhi's Jantar Mantar in what was seen as open support to his son in the legacy battle in Yadav pariwar. However, the sight of Mulayam with his brother Shivpal has once again created ripples in political circles.

Shivpal is set to embark on a electoral blitzkrieg for 2019. After rigorous social campaigning and processes for core committee selection, the estranged SP leader is believed to have approached the Election Commission to register his party name and symbol.

According to sources, his political outfit will be called 'Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party'. However, an official announcement will only be made after the party gets clearance from the EC.

Sources close to Shivpal ave revealed that he applied for a separate political outfit in 2017 but did not follow it up then as he was hopeful of calling a truce with Akhilesh Yadav.

However, after the formal announcement of the split, Yadav has been gearing up to take on his political rivals in 2019 Lok Sabha elections announcing that his party will be contesting 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP.