Sidelined SP leader, Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal floats new party

Lucknow: Sidelined Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday announced the formation of a Samajwadi Secular Morcha and said he would try to unite smaller parties under it.

However, Shivpal, who is still an SP legislator, refused to answer whether the Morcha will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"I have formed Samajwadi Secular Morcha. I was neglected in the Samajwadi Party and waited for two years. I was neither informed nor invited in party programmes and no responsibility was given to me," Shivpal, uncle of SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav, told reporters at his residence.

"There are many neglected workers in the SP. They will be assigned responsibilities and asked to strengthen our Morcha. I will also try to unite smaller parties under the Morcha," he said.

Asked whether SP founder and his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav will be part of the Morcha, Shivpal said, "We will give him due honour and ask others also to do the same."