Shivpal Yadav: The Grassroots Leader Who Took on Akhilesh

Shivpal is favoured by his elder brother and SP supremo Mulayam Singh, much to the CM’s dislike.

Shivpal Singh Yadav walked into politics following the footsteps of his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.

He was born to Sughar Singha and Murti Devi in 1995 in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district.

After completing his intermediate education from Karla Mainpuri, he graduated from the Lucknow University in 1977.

He was introduced to the political movement in Uttar Pradesh by the current Samajwadi Party supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav. From an early age, he actively participated in rallies and has been greatly influenced by the principles of nationalist leader, Ram Manohar Lohia.

Political Journey

His political career kickstarted in 1995 after he was elected as the chief of a local district panchayat. He then went on to winning the 13th Vidhan Sabha elections from Jaswant Nagar and was later appointed as the general secretary of SP.

In 2009, he was appointed as the president of SP's Uttar Pradesh unit and later as the leader of opposition when BSP supremo Mayawati was in power.

When his nephew Akhilesh Yadav became the UP chief minister in 2012, Shivpal was handed the irrigation and PWD portfolios as a cabinet minister.

For the past couple of months, Shivpal’s sacking and then being reinstated as a minister in Akhilesh’s cabinet clearly points at a rift that has been widening as the elections near.

The relationship between the nephew and uncle soured over these four years and has taken a further fragile turn with the return of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who is favoured by Mulayam.

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2014: The Year of Shivpal

Though having been a part of state and party politics since 1995, it was only in 2014 that Shivpal came to the fore, being visible on hoardings.

As his popularity soared, an SP fan club touted Shivpal as the big candidate for the next election, one who would lead the young generation ahead.

While for CM Akhilesh, around the same time, law and order was proving to be a problem, when instances like stampedes during the Kumbh Mela occurred. He brushed them off as problems which are not as bad as the opposition is painting them out to be.

Shivpal’s emergence was also due to the fact that after two years of Akhilesh being the chief minister, Mulayam felt that he would not be able to pull the party through the next round of elections. Senior party leaders also felt that ignoring Shivpal for Akhilesh could be detrimental to the party.

Why Mulayam Singh Yadav Needs His Brother

The grassroots leader is indispensable for the party and his brother, Mulayam Singh has publicly backed him over his own son, Akhilesh. SP insiders have said that Shivpal's "cool-headed and composed manner" with which he deals with situations leaves him "best suited to end the ongoing fight."

A report in The Indian Express states that Shivpal is the "organisation man" and for a large section of the SP party, he is the most important leader after his brother.

He regularly communicates with his party members and frequently travels across the state.

He also holds public meetings in Lucknow, unlike Akhilesh, and according to a party insider, “he interacts with officers in the districts over telephone frequently to address grievances of visitors, and that has developed public faith.”

A Mulayam Loyalist

Issues like distribution of party tickets or Akhilesh accusing Shivpal of conspiring against him and the SP chief, have contributed to the bitter face-off between the two.

Shivpal, a Mulayam loyalist, after being stripped of his portfolios, had stated that he will “follow Netaji’s directions and will fulfil responsibilities given by him.”

His repeated assertions indicate that he will only abide by Mulayam Singh’s orders.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times , The Indian Express, Sunday Guardian)