The Samajwadi Party had issued "free to go" letter to Shivpal Yadav and OP Rajbhar. (File)
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's letter telling him that he is "free to go where ever he gets more respect" showed his "political immaturity".
Samajwadi Party on Saturday had issued letters to Shivpal Singh Yadav and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar stating "...You are free to go anywhere you feel you are getting more respect."
The development came after Shivpal and OP Rajbhar supported the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, who defeated Yashwant Sinha, the Opposition nominee also supported by the SP.
This was for the second time that Shivpal has called his nephew Akhilesh "politically immature".
Speaking to ANI, following the letter Shivpal said that it would have been better if authorities have removed him from the legislature party.
"I came to know about the letter from the Samajwadi Party only through the media. I came to know that I have been given official freedom. I think it is political immaturity. It would have been better if they would have removed me from the legislature party and what is the need of this letter because according to the Constitution we are all free and it seems that all this is irrelevant," he said.
Shivpal Yadav further said that he left his own party and worked hard for Samajwadi Party in the Assembly election.
Shivpal had contested the Assembly polls on Samajwadi Party's ticket and won from his traditional Jaswant Nagar seat in Etawah district.
Shivpal Singh Yadav severed ties with his nephew in 2017 and formed his party after in 2018. But contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Jaswantnagar as Samajwadi Party's candidate. However, the ties did not seem to last for long as both are miffed with each other since they faced defeat at the hands of the BJP in the Assembly polls.
Talking about the further alliance with another party like BJP, he said, "Right now I am preparing and strengthening my party. If whenever there is talk of any alliance, it will come in front of you. There is no bar for alliance anywhere."
Further clarifying on voting for NDA presidential candidate in the recently held presidential polls, Shivpal said, "I am not invited to the legislature party meetings of Samajwadi Party. They never asked me to vote for the Opposition candidate. Then Chief Minister called me for dinner organised for the Presidential candidate. I went and openly supported her. If there was any cross-voting in the election they should investigate it."
Shivpal, however, supported Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and said, "Azam sahib is a great leader, he has always been with us in sorrow and happiness and we have raised the issue of the minority. There is cross-voting, it has also happened from Samajwadi Party, and the party should investigate it and find out."
Earlier Mr Rajbhar announced the end of the alliance with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.
Speaking to ANI, Mr Rajbhar had said, "SP gave divorce today, and we have accepted it. BSP is our top-most priority. We fight for the Dalits and backward classes will keep on doing so. It is not necessary that we will go with the BJP.
"I had joined hands with him (Akhilesh) to fight for the Dalits and backward classes. When I meet CM Yogi Adityanath, it's bad for them but it's good if Akhilesh Yadav meets CM. Everything will be clear by 2024," he told mediapersons.
Shivpal, who contested the Assembly elections held earlier this year on the Samajwadi Party ticket, said that he has "always been free" and added that compromise of principles is "unacceptable" in the political journey.
Both Mr Rajbhar and Shivpal had attended a dinner hosted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, that had miffed the Samajwadi Party.
Cracks further widened within the alliance when both the leaders announced to extend their support to NDA's presidential candidate instead of the Opposition's candidate Yashwant Sinha, despite being a part of the Opposition.
Earlier, Shivpal, who had patched up with his nephew ahead of the Assembly polls said that the SP was weakening and several of its leaders were quitting due to the "political immaturity" of Akhilesh Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav and his estranged uncle had resolved their differences ahead of the Assembly elections and Shivpal had contested and won on a Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket. Shivpal apparently is miffed with Akhilesh Yadav for not inviting him to party meetings and not seeking his advice.
"Due to a lack of political maturity in Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party is becoming weak and several leaders are quitting the party. I am not invited to party meetings. I was not even invited to the meeting with opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)