Shivpal adamant on parting ways with SP

Efforts by Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav to persuade his sulking younger brother and rebel leader Shivpal Singh Yadav has failed as he remains adamant on parting ways with party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Shivpal had formed a "secular front" and announced that he would put up its candidates on all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the next general elections.

Shivpal, who had a two-hour long meeting with Mulayam at latter's residence here on Tuesday evening, reportedly told his elder brother that he had been "humiliated" by Akhilesh and that it was not possible for him to now "back down".

SP sources said that Mulayam's truce efforts came a day after Akhilesh met him.

"Mulayam feels that Shivpal's secular front will only damage the SP and therefore he is trying hard to broker some kind of compromise between the warring uncle and nephew," one of Mulayam's aides told DH on Wednesday.

SP sources said that Shivpal wanted an "important" post in the party organisation and tickets for some of his supporters in the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

The leader said that Mulayam has not lost hopes and would make another truce attempt shortly.

Shivpal had recently formed a 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha' and said that he would also try to bring in smaller outfits.

Shivpal and Akhilesh have been on bad terms since the nephew, then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, sacked his uncle from his Cabinet and as the party's general secretary in 2016.

Shivpal has said he may "charter a different course" if his "isolation" in the party continued.

The BJP feels that Shivpal may prove to be a "spoiler" for the grand alliance if he formed his own outfit and put up his own candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the next Lok Sabha elections.