Shivpal Yadav open to alliance with Akhilesh, rules out dissolving PSP

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav on Friday clarified that he will not dissolve his party and return to the Samajwadi Party.

Though, Shivpal told ANI that he is open to forging an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav-led party.

"After elections, if he (Akhilesh) communicates with us, give me respect then I will think about it. I can only be an alliance partner. My party will remain and I cannot include my party with SP," Singh told ANI.

Shivpal also denied allegations of being a B-team of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"I have always worked with SP and worked against BJP. When Akhilesh announced the alliance, I asked him to make me a part of the alliance. My demand was not that big. Then I tried with Congress. I have talked with the leaders of Congress. I asked them two seats - Firozabad and Etawah. Besides this, I told them to give me those seats where they don't have candidates. I asked 15-20 seats. I was ready to defeat BJP," he said.

"They got pressure from Mayawati and Akhilesh. But the real pressure was of Professor. They got afraid of the pressure. But they should not have afraid since the people wanted an alliance between Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party and Congress. If there would have been an alliance, BJP would have suffered defeat," he added.

Shivpal is contesting from Firozabad Parliamentary constituency against sitting MP and Prof Ramgopal Yadav's son Akshay Yadav.

When asked why his party has not fielded any candidate against Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav, Shivpal said: "We have not fielded any candidate against Netaji and Dimple. Netaji formed the party. I respect him from the beginning. Our senior leaders advised me that this was a family matter and should be dealt in a specific manner."

Mulayam is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Mainpuri seat while SP leader and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Dimple Yadav is contesting from the Kannauj Parliamentary seat.