Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav on May 22 skipped the Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs meeting called by party Chief Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the Assembly session.
Mr. Khan, who was recently released from Sitapur Jail, is in Rampur and could not attend the meeting due to health reasons, SP leaders said.
Besides Mr. Khan, his son Abdullah Azam and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) chief, who is SP MLA from Jaswant Nagar (Etawah), also did not turn up for the meeting at SP headquarters here.
"Both Mr. Azam Khan and his son Mr. Abdullah will be attending the session on May 23. Mr. Azam will sit on the left of Mr. Akhilesh Yadav and will raise issues regarding the BJP government," SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra said, adding that Mr. Khan could not attend the meeting due to health reasons.
Mr. Mehrotra said Mr. Khan will first take oath and then attend the Assembly session on May 23.
About absence of Shivpal Yadav, Mr. Mehrotra said, "Though Mr. Yadav won on the SP election symbol (bicycle), he is head of a party. Earlier also, Mr. Yadav had not attended a meeting."
At the meeting, Mr. Akhilesh Yadav gave tips to the party legislators and asked them to raise issues of public interest.
