Shivpal Yadav, who announced the new political outfit Samajwadi Secular Morcha on Wednesday, has said that his party will contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the General Elections next year, PTI reported. Yadav remains an MLA from the Samajwadi Party.

Speaking after a meeting in Baghpat on Friday, Yadav said the Samajwadi Secular Morcha will form alliances with smaller parties to contest the polls at full strength. “Without our support, no government will be formed at the Centre,” he said, adding that the party would strengthen by the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He had said on Wednesday the main aim of his outfit would be to unite small parties.

“In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Morcha will contest on all the 80 seats,” News18 quoted him as saying. “Our main aim is to change the fortune of the state.”

However, Yadav’s brother and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday urged workers to help fortify the existing party itself, reported the Hindustan Times. He denied rumours of a rift between the party and the family. “If the workers have any suggestions, they should say it bluntly to the party leaders,” he reportedly said. They should not gossip about each other.”

Earlier, Shivpal Yadav had said he felt neglected in the Samajwadi Party and had waited for two years to be given responsibilities.