HT Interview: NDA wary of our unity, relying on tricks to create confusion says Shivpal Yadav

A day after Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party’s president Om Prakash Rajbhar said that a “Maharashtra-like” situation will soon emerge in Uttar Pradesh as several Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders were “angry” with party chief Akhilesh Yadav , senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Tuesday said the party stands united. In an interview with Rajesh Kumar Singh, Yadav alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was wary of the SP’s unity and was trying to create confusion in the Opposition ranks. Edited excerpts:

Amid the Maharashtra political crisis, the BJP and its alliance partners have claimed that several SP MLAs are likely to join the NDA government...

The BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ will not succeed in Uttar Pradesh. The NDA should not take the SP lightly... The SP is united to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with the opposition parties. The BJP’s plan to repeat a Maharashtra-like situation will not work in UP.

Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale says that you are in contact with NDA leaders. Are you thinking of moving away from SP due to differences with Akhilesh Yadav?

There are no differences between party chief Akhilesh Yadav and me... The estranged relationship with Akhilesh is in the past and we are working together to strengthen the organisation before the Lok Sabha elections. The NDA is wary of our unity and adopting tricks to create confusion in the opposition ranks and among common people ahead of the elections.

The SP is talking of opposition unity to challenge BJP in the LS polls? Is the SP open to alliance with BSP, Congress?

We are working on opposition unity in the Uttar Pradesh as well as across the country to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. Our doors are open for all parties [for alliance] willing to join hands with us to defeat the BJP. It is clear that SBSP is likely to join hands with the BJP... at present, we will not disclose our strategy.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary did not attend the opposition meeting in Patna. BJP leaders say that RLD is leaving the SP alliance to join BJP. Your take?

RLD is with the SP alliance. On Monday Chaudhary clarified that he will attend the next opposition meeting... The SP-RLD alliance will contest the 2024 LS elections together to defeat the BJP.

What is SP’s stand on Uniform Civil Code?

The BJP is raising the UCC before the Lok Sabha elections to polarise voters on communal lines. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that his party is against the UCC. The BJP is doing politics over the issue to serve its vested political interests.