Shivpal to be rewarded for Mainpuri win, to get important post in SP

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is likely to reward his uncle and one of the founders of the party Shivpal Singh Yadav with an important post for the latter in the party organisation apparently as a reward for the party's massive victory in the SP bastion of Mainpuri in the recently held Lok Sabha by-poll.

Akhilesh, who had reached out to Shivpal and persuaded him to campaign for the SP nominee Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri before the by-poll, had an hour long with meeting his uncle on Monday evening during which the two leaders discussed the party's electoral strategy as well as rejig of the party organisation.

Although Akhilesh did not speak to the media, according to the sources close to the party, Shivpal was likely to be given the post of party's national vice-president or national general secretary. ''An announcement to this effect may be expected very soon,'' said a senior SP leader while speaking to DH here on Tuesday.

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Sources said that Shivpal's son Aditya Yadav could also be given an important responsibility in the party.

The SP leader said that Akhilesh would soon announce the new national and state executive committees of the party which might see inclusion of several new faces. ''The leaders who played a crucial role in ensuring victory in the Mainpuri LS by-poll may find a place in them,'' the leader added.

Shivpal, who had parted ways with Akhilesh after being expelled from the SP in 2016 and had formed his own outfit, had merged his Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) with the SP immediately after the Mainpuri victory signaling that the uncle-nephew had buried the hatchet. ''There are no differences between us now....we have been waiting for this victory...the family is united and will remain son,'' Sivpal had then said. .

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.

The SP leader said that Akhilesh, who had declared that his party would soon take to the streets with issues concerning the common people, would need Shivpal to make it a success. ''Shivpal is a man of organisation...his experience will come handy for Akhilesh,'' the leader added.