The rebel Samajwadi Party leader and chief of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Shivpal Yadav has announced to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Firozabad constituency.

The current MP from Firozabad is Akshay Yadav, son of Shivpal’s estranged brother Ram Gopal Yadav, also an SP leader. During the Yadav family feud in 2016, Ram Gopal had sided with Akhilesh Yadav.

Shivpal also took potshot at BSP chief Mayawati and said, “Neither did I nor did Neta Ji ever consider Mayawati as sister. Then how is Akhilesh calling her ‘bua’?” he said, adding that Mayawati cannot be trusted as she used to call SP ‘gundo ki sarkar’.

He also took a jibe at his nephew and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that he ‘deceived his father and uncle.’

Shivpal Yadav is believed to have an influence in the Firozabad and adjoining districts and is capable of giving a tough fight to the incumbent MP and his nephew Akshay Yadav.

Shivpal Yadav’s party will be contesting on all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. However, he won’t field any candidate against his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party was floated in 2018 after Shivpal’s growing differences with Akhilesh Yadav for “not giving him the due respect in the party.” The formation of the new party just ahead of Lok Sabha elections was seen as an attempt to dent the SP.