Rift remains? Shivpal contradicts Akhilesh, says allegations of EVM tampering in UP polls unfounded

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday trashed charges by parties that the BJP got the EVMs tampered in the civic polls in Uttar Pradesh.

In Mainpuri to attend a wedding, the former minister said had this been the case, he would not be a legislator now.

Shivpal Yadav`s statement contradicts what his estranged nephew and party President Akhilesh Yadav has said. Akhilesh Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, has time and again said that the Electronic Voting Machines had been tampered with.

"I won the election from Jaswantnagar earlier this year, many of my supporters have won the urban body polls. So without proof how can I allege that the EVMs were tampered to favour the ruling party?" he asked.

Shivpal Yadav has been daggers drawn with Akhilesh Yadav and has now been more or less ditched by his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav who has apparently bought peace with his son after initially siding with his brother.

Shivpal Yadav also took a dig at Akhilesh Yadav for the Samajwadi Party`s defeat in the civic polls, demanding to know who had picked the candidates.