Lucknow, Nov 30 (IANS): Even as Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is busy sewing up alliances with smaller parties, he is keeping his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav on tenterhooks.

Shivpal Yadav, 66, who heads the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL), is still waiting to hear from his nephew about the status of their relationship for the upcoming 2022 Assembly polls.

Shivpal has said that he is even prepared to merge his PSPL in the Samajwadi Party provided Akhilesh assures that his supporters would get due respect.

Shivpal, who recently met SP MP Mohd Azam Khan in Sitapur jail, said, "Azam Khan and I have been together since the inception of Samajwadi Party. We have been together in political agitations and struggle. Today, he is in jail, with 102 cases lodged against him. All the cases against him are politically motivated. I believe that all Samajwadis should have taken to the streets in support of Azam Khan. I just went to reassure him that we are with him."

He said that he did discuss politics with Azam Khan and the latter also said that all Samajwadis should unite and contest elections.

Shivpal said that time was running out and he was waiting for the SP president to respond.

"Everything can be resolved through dialogue. Earlier, when other smaller parties got together, we were looking at a total of 100 seats from the SP in case of an alliance. But things have changed now. Many smaller parties have already joined hands with SP independently. I want that SP should get an independent survey done and find out if my candidate is in a winning position on a particular seat and then give the ticket. The winnability factor must be above everything else," he said.

The PSPL leader said that he was ready for an alliance or merger, but there was no offer for talks from the SP president.

"The clock is ticking away and I cannot endlessly wait for a decision. The SP chief should start talks at the earliest," he added.