2019 Lok Sabha elections: Shivpal Yadav to contest from Firozabad

Etawah, Jan 27: The rebel Samajwadi Party leader and chief of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Shivpal Yadav has announced to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Firozabad constituency, which is Akshay Yadav, son of Shivpal's estranged brother Ram Gopal Yadav.

"The people of Firozabad want me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from there and so I will contest from Firozabad," Yadav said, and asserted that the government at the Centre could only be formed with support from PSP-L.

Addressing a Republic Day gathering at a college here, Yadav said he did not want any high-ranking designation in the Samajwadi Party, nor a minister's post. "I only wanted respect, but I was separated (from the party) as part of a conspiracy. How can we trust a person (Akhilesh Yadav) who has deceived his father and uncle? I had to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia out of compulsion."

On SP-BSP alliance, Yadav recalled show the BSP had given "shocks to the SP" and formed government with the BJP on three occasions. "A party which called Mulayam Singh Yadav a goonda and me 'durachari', forging alliance with such a party is an insult to both father and uncle."

Later, he said Mulayam had never made Mayawati his sister, neither had he "then how could Mayawati become Akhilesh Yadav's aunt," referring to recent comments of the SP and BSP chiefs.