Shivpal Yadav (ANI photo)

NEW DELHI: Peeved at being sidelined in the party affairs, disgruntled Samajwadi Party leader and uncle of former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav , Shivpal Yadav will float own political front along with other caste-based regional parties.

Yadav dropped broad hints about launch of own political forum while talking to a Hindi news channel at his Lucknow residence. "My aim is to strengthen the socialist ideology," said Yadav adding that all those "isolated" in the Samajwadi Party will be welcome to join him.

"There are several leaders feeling unhappy for being ignored for a long time. We are in touch with each other and will give a formal shape to the socialist front," Yadav said. He also confirmed meeting a few ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government in UP like cabinet minister and Bharatiya Suheldev Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar. "It is good that ministers are meeting with us," Yadav said.

Asked as if he is feeling suffocated in the Samajwadi family, the former PWD minister in UP said, "leave this issue." On the question of contesting Lok Sabha polls in 2019, Yadav said he will take decisions in the interest of the front.

Yadav had threatened to quit the Samajwadi Party in 2017 on the eve of UP assembly polls, but stayed back on the instructions of the party founder and his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav . Mulayam Singh himself had recently said no body cares about him in the party anymore. "Possibly I will be respected only after death," the SP patriarch had said.

However, Shivpal seems adamant this time around and has disclosed his plan only after doing the homework. On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh had disclosed in Lucknow that he had organised Shivpal Yadav's entry into the BJP but the latter didn't turn up on the day of joining.

Shivpal was the most important leader when Mulayam Singh Yadav was the party chief as he used to take key decisions including distribution of tickets. He is also supposed to have a strong support base among the party cadres across UP. His own political forum could be a major jolt to Akhilesh's bid to forge alliance with the BAP and pose a challenge to BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

