Akhilesh-Shivpal to mend fences?

Severe drubbing in Uttar Pradesh in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls despite having an alliance with the BSP appears to have forced Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav to mend fences with his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

According to the sources in the SP, party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav was in favour of Shivpal's return to the party fold given the latter's ''organisational capabilities''.

Shivpal, who had been expelled from the SP by Akhilesh three years back, formed his own outfit Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party

''Shivpal has a vast experience in the organisation....he has been with the organisation since the party was founded....after his departure we do not have anyone, who can take care of the party at the grass root level,'' said a senior SP leader while speaking to DH here on Friday.

The leader said that during his recent meeting with Akhilesh after the LS polls loss, Mulayam had also advised the former to ''mend fences'' with Shivpal and allow him to return to the party fold.

Sources said that Akhilesh was not yet ready for rapprochement with Shivpal as he held the latter responsible for sabotaging the electoral prospects of many an SP nominees in the recent LS polls.

Shivpal had contested against his nephew and SP nominee Akshoy Yadav in Ferozabad constituency. Though Shivpal failed to win, he ensured the defeat of Akshoy by securing around one lakh votes. Akshoy lost to BJP candidate by 28 thousand votes.

Besides, there were reports that Shivpal had also campaigned against Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav on Kannauj LS seat. Dimple lost to BJP nominee by 13 thousand votes.

Sources in the SP, however, said that a rapprochement between the two leaders could not be ruled out, especially as Mulayam was advocating for the same.

SP could win only five seats in the LS polls while its alliance partner BSP was able to pocket ten seats. SP lost in its bastions of Ferozabad, Badayun and Kannauj.