Shivpal Yadav open to grand alliance after moving to Mayawati's Bunglow

Samajwadi Secular Morcha chief Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday said that he was open to joining hands with the opposition parties against the Yogi Adityanath government. 

Shivpal's comments come after Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar had claimed that he allotment of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati`s bungalow and provision of Z-plus security to Samajwadi Secular Morcha leader Shivpal Yadav showed that he had started working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shivpal was recently allocated Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati's bungalow. 

Mayawati had vacated it after the Supreme Court ordered that former chief ministers of the state should move out of their official bungalows.

Shivpal he told reporters that he would use the 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg residence as the office of his morcha.

"I have entered the bungalow and will start work from here. We have invited all those who did not get due honour in Samajwadi Party to join our morcha, which we have formed as people have lost trust in political parties. We will work against the anti-people government (in UP)," Shivpal Yadav said.

On the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal Yadav said, he will "consider" the proposal if he is invited to join it.

Shivpal Yadav has not quit the SP but formed the morcha following differences with Akhilesh Yadav. He said the morcha will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

"I tried my level best to remain united. You (media) ask him (Akhilesh Yadav) why he allowed people to leave. Except on Mainpuri seat, where Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to contest, we will contest elections on all Lok Sabha seats (in UP) in 2019."

Earlier on Saturday, news of Aparna Yadav joining hands with brother Shivpal also came in. Aparna is the daughter-in-law of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. 

Aparna shared the dais with Shivpal at an event in Lucknow. "We had called for a meeting of 24 political parties. If everyone comes together, we will all become one force. We should come together to emerge as a combined stronger force. I want this Samajwadi Secular Morcha to grow stronger," she said. She also added that she had always respected Shivpal Yadav and will work towards building the party. 

Earlier Wednesday, Shivpal Yadav reached the bungalow with his supporters and entered it after performing a puja and havan on Durga Ashtmi.
Shivpal Yadav had said he was allotted the bungalow "as there were intelligence reports of threats to me."

The Congress previously suggested Shivpal Yadav was favoured in the allocation of the bungalow, saying he was working for the BJP. The BJP had defended the decision, saying "no politics should be seen in it".

Launching the morcha in August, Shivpal Yadav had said he felt neglected in the SP after Akhilesh Yadav took the charge of the party.

Mayawati vacated the bungalow after the Supreme Court struck down on May 7 an amendment to the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act that allowed former chief ministers to retain their government accommodation when their term ended.

After this, former chief ministers, including Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Narain Dutt Tiwari and Rajnath Singh, had to vacate their government bungalows.

(With Agency inputs)