Mulayam, Shivpal loyalists to campaign against SP candidates

In Mainpuri, former SP district president Manikchand Shakya, who was appointed by Shivpal, claimed to have resigned from the party membership with 2,000 workers.

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Party cadres in the two districts, mostly Mulayam loyalists, have started regrouping under the banner ‘Mulayam ke log (Mulayam’s people) in Etawah. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

A large section of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav supporters have decided to campaign against candidates fielded by the chief minister in Yadav bastions of Etawah and Mainpuri. In Mainpuri, former SP district president Manikchand Shakya, who was appointed by Shivpal, claimed to have resigned from the party membership with 2,000 workers (including three zila panchayat members, 40 pradhans, 60 ex-pradhans and block pramukhs) on Monday. Shakya announced that he would oppose SP candidates in all constituencies of the district.

“We resigned to express solidarity with Netaji. If he doesn’t campaign, even we will not,” Shakya said. He said Akhilesh’s decision to team up with the Congress showed that the party was “disconnected from ground realities”.

Party cadres in the two districts, mostly Mulayam loyalists, have started regrouping under the banner ‘Mulayam ke log (Mulayam’s people) in Etawah. The group is headed by Sunil Yadav, former SP district president of Etawah, who claims to have mobilised more than 200 supporters working full-time to ensure defeat of SP candidates.

“We will oppose SP candidates from Sadar and Bharthana seats,” Sunil said.

Shivpal had on Sunday met disgruntled workers of the ‘Mulayam ke log’ group.

Denied a ticket, Raghuraj Singh Shakya, a three-term SP MLA, also joined ‘Mulayam ke log’ after he resigned on Saturday.

Amit Jani and Anil Verma, both Shivpal loyalists, have also set up a ‘Shivpal Yadav Youth Brigade’ and ‘Shivpal Yuvjan Sabha’.