Following indications of developing goodwill between Shivpal Yadav, the head of the Pragati Sheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia, and the BJP, there is speculation that he may be appointed Deputy Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly with the BJP’s support.Â
“This type of speculation is circulating. Politics, like the sky, has no bounds. In politics, the door to possibilities is never closed, according to PSPL spokesperson Deepak Mishra.Â
After a falling out with his nephew, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav formed his own political party in 2019. However, the two reunited before of the 2018 assembly elections, and Shivpal Yadav won Jaswant Nagar on an SP ticket. Â
After the election results, with the BJP returning to power for a second consecutive term, tensions between the two appeared to have resurfaced. Shivpal Yadav’s experience as a legislator was recounted by the PSPL spokeswoman. If the MLAs grant him this responsibility, the assembly’s prestige will rise “Mishra explained. Â
When asked why Yadav is interested in the position of Deputy Speaker, he answered, “Which position is left for him now? He will not be able to become Speaker. He also won’t be able to become Speaker of the House or Leader of the Opposition.” According to Mishra, there has been no official request for the election of the PSPL leader to the position of Deputy Speaker. “However, if such a request is made, Shivpal Yadav will be the first option of both the government and opposition parties,” he continued. Â
“I have no knowledge in this regard,” UP’s Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Jaswant Singh Saini said when asked about the prospect. There had been conjecture that Yadav would be sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP, and that his son Aditya Yadav would run for the Jaswant Nagar assembly seat that dad had left vacant. Nitin Agarwal, a BJP-backed SP renegade, was chosen as Deputy Speaker of the UP Legislative Assembly in October 2021.Â
 There have been signs of strain within Akhilesh Yadav’s opposition alliance in recent days, and his uncle Shivpal Yadav has hinted that he is considering joining the BJP. He has met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and has started following Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath, and former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Twitter.Â
After the uncle was not invited to a meeting of newly elected SP MLAs on March 26, the schism between Shivpal and Akhilesh Yadav has widened. Shivpal Yadav then skipped a meeting of Akhilesh Yadav’s opposition group. He later went to CM’s house in this town, fueling speculation that he was switching sides.Â
Another Yadav family member has already crossed over. Aparna Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law, joined the BJP before of the assembly elections. Meanwhile, in New Delhi on Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav met with his father, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. What happened between them, though, remains unknown.Â
While the BJP has not issued an official statement, insiders say the party is considering fielding Shivpal as the deputy leader in the assembly, as it did with renegade SP lawmaker Nitin Agarwal. “The party leadership is anticipated to iron things out soon,” a senior BJP leader stated. The deputy speaker is traditionally picked from the opposition. If this happens, Shivpal will be seated next to his nephew, Akhilesh Yadav, the opposition leader.Â
Published By : Revathy G Sanal
Edited By : Subbuthai Padma
