In the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022, with many switching sides and forging new alliances, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party- Lohia (PSP-L) president Shivpal Singh Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav decided to join forces and consolidate a united front.

A Wait Of 'Two Years'

Following nephew Akhilesh Yadav’s recent announcement of SP-PSP alliance, uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, speaking to the media in Kanpur on Sunday, said, “I have been seeking this (alliance with SP) for the past two years. It will be great if it happens.” Taking potshots at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the PSP chief said that people are highly disappointed with the current government. "BJP made false promises at the time of elections, so there is a necessity of a change in power in the state,” he said.

The PSP chief, who broke ties with the SP in September 2016 over a spat with his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, had time and again hinted to reconcile with the Samajwadi Party in the last two years. Shivpal has not only talked of an alliance, but has also said he is ready to even merge his party with the SP if given a suitable position in the party.

However, Akhilesh Yadav remained non-committal towards his uncle's eagerness for a coalition, saying that he was “waiting for the right time”.

When the 2019 Lok Sabha elections came around, the PSP was not a part of the SP-BSP-RLD mahagathbandhan. In fact, one of the slogans attributed to Mulayam Singh Yadav, on behalf of PSP went thus — “Saintees pe mere laal ladega, baaki par Shivpal ladega” (My son will fight on 37 seats, the rest will be contested by Shivpal). The context here being the alliance between SP, BSP, and RLD for the Lok Sabha seats in UP where SP was contesting on 37 out of the 80 constituencies.

Will Give “Full Respect” To PSP

It was on 3 November that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had announced that his party will form an alliance with his uncle Shivpal Yadav’s PSP and will give him “full respect”. Akhilesh Yadav said that “the Samajwadi Party has made constant efforts to take along small and regional parties and many parties have also come with the Samajwadi Party”. He cited the example of SP’s recent alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) to reiterate his claim.

He further said, “it has been the endeavour of the Samajwadi Party to stitch an alliance with smaller parties. Naturally, we are going to forge an alliance with the party of Uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav as well. Samajwadi Party will give him full respect.”

When asked about the merger of PSP with Samajwadi Party, he explained “there is no question of merger. If we are going to the elections together, then somewhere there will be an alliance in one way or the other, we will have an alliance, they (PSP) will also be taken along.”

What Does This Alliance Mean?

Though Shivpal Yadav, after his “break-up” with Akhilesh Yadav, did form his separate political outfit, in practical terms, the PSP was yet another version of the parent body, ie, the Samajwadi Party. Be it their ideology (socialism), their core voter base (Yadavs), or the prime opponent (BJP), both the parties have almost everything in common.

While this alliance seems unlikely to have any substantive effect on the electoral outcome of the state, it will for sure be a major confidence boost for both Akhilesh and Shivpal, as well as for the spirits of their respective party cadres.

As per reports, the formal announcement of the SP-PSP-L alliance will be made to party workers on 22 November, that is on the birthday of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Thus, with barely months to go for UP 2022 Assembly elections, it seems like it’s “family time” for the uncle-nephew duo.