Lagatar24 Desk
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s playful remark towards Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav sparked a lively exchange in the Assembly on Tuesday morning. The incident began when CM Adityanath congratulated Samajwadi Party veteran Mata Prasad Pandey, who has recently replaced Akhilesh Yadav as the Leader of the Opposition following Akhilesh’s election to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.
Congratulating Pandey, the Chief Minister said, “You have served twice as the Speaker of this House. I congratulate you on your selection. It’s a different matter that you tricked chacha (uncle).” He was referring to Shivpal Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle, seated next to Pandey. Adityanath added, “Chacha always gets tricked like this. This is his destiny because the nephew is always scared.” Shivpal Yadav was seen smiling at the comment.
When it was Shivpal Yadav’s turn to speak, he responded, “I was not tricked; Pandey ji is very senior.” Addressing the treasury benches, he added, “I was in touch with you for three years. You tricked me too,” causing MLAs across party lines, including the Chief Minister, to burst into laughter.
Shivpal Yadav then took a dig at the BJP’s performance in the recent elections in Uttar Pradesh. “You tricked me, you lagged behind in this election, and the Samajwadi Party surged ahead. Mark my words, the Samajwadi Party will come to power in the 2027 state polls, and your Deputy Chief Minister will trick you,” he remarked.
The exchange occurred amid reports of internal friction within the state BJP. Displaying unity, the Chief Minister was flanked by Deputy Chief Ministers Maurya and Brajesh Pathak when addressing the media before the Assembly session.
Shivpal Yadav, the youngest brother of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and founder of the Samajwadi Party, has served as an MLA for nearly three decades. He has also been a state minister and the Leader of the Opposition and is now the National General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party.
In 2017, during Akhilesh Yadav’s political ascension, Shivpal Yadav left the Samajwadi Party to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party. However, in 2022, he reconciled with his nephew, rejoining the Samajwadi Party and merging his party with it.
