Lucknow, Jan 17 (IANS): Even though there has been no formal merger of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) into the Samajwadi Party (SP), PSPL president Shivpal Singh Yadav has said that he and his party candidates will contest on the SP symbol.

Shivpal Yadav said that though his party had been allotted an election symbol -- stool -- but there was very little time left to popularise it.

Earlier, the PSPL had been allotted a 'key' as its poll symbol.

"I have decided that we will contest on the SP symbol and will defeat the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)," he claimed and reiterated that he had accepted SP chief Akhilesh Yadav as his leader.

"When I have accepted Akhilesh as my leader then why should there be any confusion on contesting polls under his leadership?"

Shivpal also responded to speculations that his daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav was joining the BJP.

"Aparna should stay in the family and SP and work for the people. She will certainly get the reward at appropriate time," he said.

Aparna Yadav had contested the 2017 polls from Lucknow Cantonment Assembly constituency on an SP ticket but she lost to the BJP's Rita Bahuguna Joshi.