Shivapal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party to contest 2022 assembly polls on its own

Shivapal Singh Yadav, younger brother of Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Friday put to rest the speculation of any merger between his Pragatisheel Samajwadi party and Akhilesh Yadav's SP. He said, "Rumours are that there will be a merger but this (revelation) should put an end to all that."

He also claimed his party Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP) will form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. "We have decided to contest the 2022 Assembly elections. Our party will form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2022," he said during a press conference at the party office here. 

"Shivpal also said that the election symbol of his party will remain that of a key. He further said the PSP needs to be strengthened so that in 2022, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) forms a government on its own.

In 2016, Akhilesh had shown the door to his uncle Shivpal, who later formed his own party - PSP. 
The family feud had become a hot topic of discussion among villagers at Saifai, a village in the Etawah district and Mainpuri Parliamentary constituency.
Youths in Saifai are divided into two groups - a few supporting Akhilesh while others are in favour of Shivpal.

The PSP had failed to win any seat in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.