Amid tussle for Yadav votes in Uttar Pradesh, Shivpal Yadav demands 'Ahir' Regiment in Army

Tussle for the votes of the Yadav community in Uttar Pradesh, considered to be the vote bank of the Samajwadi Party (SP), intensified after SP president Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday formed 'Yadukul Punarjagaran Mission' with mafia don-turned-politician D P Yadav and demanded formation of an Ahir (Yadav) Regiment in the Army on the lines of 'Jat' Regiment.

Speaking to reporters here, Shivpal, who was accompanied by D P Yadav, said that the formation of the new outfit was aimed at preserving the rights of the community and fighting for "social justice and renaissance".

"Today every section of the society-whether forward or backward-is suffering.....our outfit is not against any other organisation or individual (Akhilesh).....it is only for taking up the fight for the interests of the Yadukul (Yadav clan)," he added.

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Shivpal said that the new outfit would represent the entire OBC community. In reply to a question, he said that he had nothing against Akhilesh nor had the new outfit been formed to 'weaken' him. "Akhilesh is doing his work....we are doing our work," he remarked.

Shivpal and D P Yadav said that the Indian Army should form a Yadav Regiment on the lines of the Jat Regiment.

The political experts here said that the new outfit was indicative of the 'tussle' for the electorally influential Yadav community voters. Yadavs form around 10 per cent of the total electorate in the state and were the deciding factor on around 50 Assembly seats. BJP has already been trying to make inroads into Yadav votes and has deployed its leaders who hailed from the community for this purpose.

"Shivpal wants to wean away the Yadavs from Akhilesh.....if he succeeds it will be a setback for the SP president," opined a Lucknow-based political expert.

The SP leaders, however, sought to make light of the announcement of formation of the new outfit saying that the Yadav community knew very well where its interests lay and who could fight for them.