Shivpal's PSP to protest against BJP govt today

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav on Wednesday announced that his party will hold a statewide agitation in Uttar Pradesh today against the policies introduced by the BJP government.

"Scores of our party workers will protest today against the policies of the government," he said while speaking to reporters here.

While addressing a press conference, Shivpal also stated that he will contest the elections from Jaswant Nagar Vidhan Sabha seat irrespective of any candidate standing against him.

"Till now, no candidate was able to defeat me in Jaswant Nagar Vidhan Sabha. I expect Netaji Mulayam Singh to come and do campaigning for me. People will decide who will win and who will lose," he said.

Yadav also commented on an application seeking his disqualification from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly under the anti-defection law, and stated that it is up to the Samajwadi Party (SP) to decide the future course of action.

"I had already resigned from the Samajwadi party and now it is up to the SP to decide what they want to do," he stated.

Shivpal had left the SP during the Lok Sabha elections, but the Akhilesh Yadav-led party did not take any initiative to end his Assembly membership at that time. However, on September 13, the political quarter had sought his disqualification.

Shivpal had left the SP to form the PSP. The PSP chief even fielded candidates in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. He himself contested Firozabad parliamentary seat but lost to his nephew Akshay Yadav, who contested on an SP ticket.

Earlier, Shivpal had hinted that his party could ally with the Samajwadi Party for the 2022 Assembly Elections in the state. However, he also made it clear that he will not be going back to SP.