Shivpal Yadav meets Yogi Adityanath, triggers speculation

Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who was sidelined in the party and government by nephew Akhilesh Yadav, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, fuelling speculation.

The meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, is being termed in political corridors as "something more that a mere courtesy call".

According to sources, Shivpal Yadav was mulling option beyond the Samajwadi Party, whose president he was till he was dislodged by his nephew before the state elections.

Shivpal Yadav is also reported to be trying to find a political future for his son Aditya Yadav as well, an insider said. This is the second meeting of a Yadav clan member with the BJP Chief Minister in the past few days.

On March 15 and on March 31, Mulayam's younger son Prateek and his wife Aparna Yadav had met Adityanath. Political observers here are speculating that there could be a major breach in the Yadav family with some people crossing over to the saffron camp.

Even after the rout in the 2017 state assembly elections, there has been no thaw in the relations between Mulayam Singh-Shivpal and Akhilesh.

In fact both Mulayam and Shivpal attacked Akhilesh recently and blamed his arrogance for the poll debacle. Aparna Yadav had also said that it was not the EVMs that were at fault but "our own" who had ensured her defeat from the Lucknow Cantt seat.