Phoolan Devi's sister joins Samajwadi Party ahead of UP bypolls

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh by-polls and impending state Assembly polls in 2022, former dacoit-turned-Samajwadi Party (SP) MP late Phoolan Devi's sister Rukamani Devi Nishad, on Sunday, joined party in presence of chief Akhilesh Yadav, according to ANI. Phoolan Devi was Mirzapur Lok Sabha MP in 1996. Mirzapur grabbed national spotlight when she won seat in 1996. She n lost seat in a mid-term poll in 1998 and won it again in 1999 before she was murdered in 2001.

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Phoolan Devi's sister joins SP

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Shivpal Singh open for coalition with Akhilesh Yadav

Earlier on Thursday, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav's estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav - Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief said that he is open for a coalition with him, according to ANI. He furr stated he would t rejoin  Samajwadi Party. Shivpal, who is former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's younger bror, left party and anunced formation of his own party prior to UP state polls in 2017. His party - Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party was recognised officially in October 2018.

WATCH: 'Arre bhai, bahut mehenga de rahe ho,' says Akhilesh Yadav haggling over price of a corn cob with vendor

Uttar Pradesh bypolls

Bypolls are set to be held in 11 Assembly seats in state on October 21, 2019. counting for byelection is slated for October 24, 2019. 11 seats up for byelections include Pratapgarh, Luckw Cantt, Rampur, Gangoh, Govindpur, Jalalpur, Zaidpur, Iglas, Manikpur, Ghosi, and Balham. BSP is set to contest on all seats independently after Mayawati broke Gathbandhan in May. Meanwhile, BJP and Samajwadi Party have asked ir respective alliance partners to field candidates in some constituencies. Congress, on or hand, is eyeing a comeback, cashing in on SP-BJP major tussle ahead of state assembly polls in 2022.

Gathbandhan Breaks: Mayawati calls off alliance with SP and blames Akhilesh for poll drubbing, anunces that BSP will contest upcoming U.P bypolls solo

SP's performance in Lok  Sabha polls

SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav has been attempting tomake up for terrible performance of party in Lok Sabha election. SP had fought in coalition with BSP and mand to win only 5 seats and its ally BSP 10 seats against BJP's 62 seats. re have been reports that Shivpal Singh Yadav's party was blamed by SP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for splitting Yadav votes. Also, Gathbandhan equation had failed after Mayawati pulled out of coalition and anunce her decision to contest for state Assembly bypolls on her own.