Shivpal Yadav, former President of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday threw caution to wind and vowed to form a new party after assembly election results come in on March 11.
At a rally of his supporters after he filed his nomination from Jaswantnagar in Etawah as a SP candidate, an emotional Shivpal Yadav reiterated his allegiance to his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav but said he will part ways with the SP after the results are announced.
"Jao tum jeet jao, sarkar banao, hum ab party banayenge," he said as thousands of his supporters applauded. He also said that whatever he was today was because of Mulayam Singh.
"People say and I admit that whatever I have achieved in my political career is because of the blessings of Netaji" he said in a choked voice.
He also took a dig at his nephew and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, with whom he has been daggers drawn.
He said "some people" gave him the SP ticket as a "meharbani" or else he would have had to contest as an independent candidate.
He also asked his supporters who were denied ticket by the Samajwadi Party to contest as independents.
Shivpal Yadav was appointed the state president by Mulayam Singh in October. But Akhilesh Yadav sacked him - his uncle - from the cabinet.
The feud turned bitter with every passing day. Finally, the Election Commission ruled Akhilesh Yadav as the rightful leader of the SP following his election as its President on January 1 replacing Mulayam Singh.
Shivpal Yadav said he had been back-stabbed.
"As of now I have got the party symbol and am fighting the election... I did not want to but had to give in to the demands of the people," he said.
In 2012, Shivpal Yadav won from Jaswantnagar by 1.33 lakh votes.
He said it was very unfortunate that people groomed by Mulayam Singh had not only turned their back on him but also humiliated him. "Netaji ka apmaan hua par hum unke saath hain."
Attacking Akhilesh Yadav without naming him, Shivpal Yadav claimed he was sidelined because he opposed the wrongdoing in the government.
"People whom we gave everything targeted us. We told the Chief Minister, 'Take everything including the right to distribute tickets but let Netaji remain the National President of the party'," he said.
Shivpal accused Akhilesh Yadav of removing ministers doing good work.
"There are several ministers who are only vying for publicity and did nothing for public. The CM could have initiated action against them, but only those ministers doing good work including me were sacked."
The rebellion by Shivpal Yadav could upset the Samajwadi Party's prospects in the Etah-Etawah-Mainpuri belt, which has been a stronghold of the Yadav family.
The staggered polling in Uttar Pradesh begins on February 11 and ends on March 8. The vote count will be done on March 11.
--IANS
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