Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia president Shivpal Singh Yadav on Friday denied the rumours about him joining the Congress and called it "fake news".

The socialist leader had recently parted ways with his nephew and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, months after both leaders came together for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. ?

In a conversation with reporters when asked about speculations that he may join the Congress, the leader denied the possibility. It is "fake news", he said. The leader also claimed that he is trying to unite the opposition for the 2024 general election. ?

About his alliance with the Samajwadi Party, he said, "When we were not considered as an alliance partner, we parted ways. Now, we are trying to grow our party. The responsibility has been given to the youth in the party."

Shivpal Yadav is the uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav. The differences had cropped up between Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav in 2016, after which they had parted ways.

Shivpal formed the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia in 2018 but before the 2022 assembly elections, both leaders came together. Shivpal Yadav contested from the Jaswantnagar assembly constituency on the SP ticket. ?

However, just after the election results, the differences between the two leaders surfaced again, with the veteran socialist leader opposing Akhilesh Yadav's choice Yashwant Sinha in the presidential elections. ?

(With PTI Inputs)