Azam, Shivpal to exit? What Tipu’s push to be Sultan means for SP
India Today
Will senior SP leaders Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav exit the party amid differences with Akhilesh Yadav? What Tipu's push to be Sultan of the party means in UP's changed political realities.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) lost the UP election 2022 to the BJP but bettered its performance in 2017 to become the main Opposition party in the state.
The talk should be more about consolidation and reorganisation. But there has been speculation over senior party leader and Rampur MLA Azam Khan leaving the SP.
Not just that. Multiple reports have also suggested that Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) chief Shivpal Yadav might quit the alliance and join the BJP.
Both Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav are said to be upset with how Akhilesh Yadav has “treated” them.
Is Tipu (Akhilesh Yadav’s nickname) tired of being “mentored” by the seniors? He had successfully attempted a coup of sorts in 2017 but gradually, the difference between the old and new started getting blurred.
Does Akhilesh Yadav now want to be Sultan of the party where only his writ will run? And what will that mean in Uttar Pradesh’s changing political realities? Let’s first address some elementary questions.
Former UP Cabinet minister Azam Khan has been in Sitapur jail/hospital since February 2020 in connection with various cases, including those of land-grabbing and encroachment. He fought the UP Assembly election 2022, while in judicial custody, from his stronghold Rampur and won for the tenth time.
