The massive victory of Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav in the family bastion of Mainpuri prompted former SP leader and Akhilesh's estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav to merge his outfit Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSPL) into SP on Thursday.
While Shivpal changed his status to SP leader on his Twitter handle, Akhilesh himself affixed the party flag on his uncle's vehicle on Thursday.
"There are no differences between us now....we have been waiting for this victory...the family is united and will remain son," Sivpal later said while speaking to reporters in Etawah, Mainpuri's neighbouring district.
Later, they posted photographs of the event on Twitter.
Akhilesh, who had expelled Shivpal after taking over the reign of the party in 2016, had driven to the latter's residence after his wife Dimple Yadav filed her nomination papers from the seat to persuade him to campaign for her.
Shivpal, who was an MLA from Jaswant Nagar, one of the assembly segments of Mainpuri LS seat, had extensively campaigned for Dimple and also ensured that she attained maximum leader from Jaswant Nagar.
Shivpal also merged his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, an outfit he had formed after being expelled from SP, with the the latter.
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