Shivpal invites JD (U) leaders on party’s anniversary celebrations on Nov 5

Amid the raging feud in Samajwadi Party, its senior leader Shivpal Yadav reached Delhi this evening to invite 'like-minded' socialists for the party's 25th anniversary celebrations on November 5, a move seen as an attempt to stitch an alliance for the state Assembly polls.

Sources close to Shivpal said he called up JD (U) leaders Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and RLD supremo Ajit Singh after reaching Delhi to invite them for the function as part of bid to showcase an alliance on the occasion.

A weakened SP is now looking for alliance to take on BJP and BSP in the polls due early next year.

Carrying an invitation from SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal met JD(U) leader K C Tyagi and invited his party leaders for the November 5 event in Lucknow.

When asked whether he would be inviting RJD and RLD leaders also for the celebrations, Yadav said, "As of now I am here to invite K C Tyagi". Asked whether he would be inviting Congress too, he said "only socialists" are being invited.

Sources in JD(U) and SP said the idea behind the invite is to stitch an alliance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year's assembly polls on the lines of Bihar.

An earlier attempt to stitch an alliance of like-minded parties had failed after SP had backed out. Shivpal was involved in roping in the various constituents of the new formation till Mulayam himself decided to walk out of the grand alliance months before the Bihar polls.

"I had tried to form an alliance earlier too, but (expelled party leader) Ram Gopal Yadav did not allow it to happen fearing CBI," Shivpal told reporters at the airport here.

Asked whether he would attend the 'rath yatra' which Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav plans from November 3, he said though he is no more under the CM (after being sacked from the Cabinet), he would certainly attend if invited.

Responding to a poser, he said Akhilesh should respect his father Mulayam like a disciplined son.