Uttar Pradesh polls next year: SP campaign yet to take off as family feud results in ‘indecision’

On Saturday, Mulayam suddenly cancelled his Azamgarh rally set to be held on October 6. Mulayam reportedly wanted to launch SP’s election campaign from Azamgarh — his Lok Sabha constituency.

All preparations for the rally has been made when it was called off. Party state president Shivpal Yadav had also held meetings with leaders of Azamgarh and 14 adjoining districts for the rally.

Akhilesh too had earlier tweeted that he would start his ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra’ from October 3, along with a photograph of the chariot. But last week, he had postponed the yatra and a fresh date is yet to be announced.

“Nobody in the organisation has been assigned any responsibility to prepare for the rath yatra so far,” said a SP leader.

During the last 15 days, high drama had prevailed in the SP. With Mulayam replacing Akhilesh with Shivpal as the party UP president, the CM had hit back by divesting his uncle of his portfolios.

Later, Shivpal had expelled seven youth leaders (considered close to Akhilesh), including the heads of three youth frontal organisations of SP.

The state president of the fourth youth frontal organisation too had resigned later, demanding reappointment of Akhilesh as the party UP president.

These youths leaders included three MLCs. Shivpal also went on to expel another MLC, Arvind Pratap Yadav, the nephew of SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav.

Later, despite resistance from a section of leaders, Mulayam had appointed Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh as the SP general secretary.

“As the new state president, Shivpal ji is yet to reconstitute the four youth organisations. These organisations play an important role in poll canvassing. Also, changes in the party organisation are expected,” said an SP leader.

In June, the SP national parliamentary board had decided to hold a meeting of the party national executives in Lucknow before starting the poll campaign. Dates for the meeting are yet to be finalised.

On the other hand, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has concluded the first phase of his ‘Deoria to Delhi Kisan Yatra’ in Lucknow last Friday. He has covered 2,230 km and addressed 17 khaat sabhas, 12 major shows and over 500 rallies. He is set to start the second phase of his yatra on September 26 from Lucknow.

BSP chief Mayawati too has already held grand rallies in Agra, Azamgarh, Allahabad and Saharanpur. Party national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra began ‘Bhaichara Sammelan’ from Gorakhpur on Sunday.

The BJP, in the meantime, had kicked off its campaign from Allahabad in June with a ‘Parivartan Rally’ of Prime Minister Naredra Modi. In July too, the PM had addressed a rally in Gorakhpur.

BJP national president Amit Shah, in the last three months, has already addressed six booth presidents’ sammelans across UP, a Dalits’ convention in Lucknow, an intellectuals’ meet in Noida, a Jan Swabhiman rally in Varanasi and a ‘ati dalit-ati-pichda mahapanchayat’ in Mau. Shah had also addressed a gathering of Dalits on September 16 and another meet of backward castes earlier this week in Lucknow.

BJP is now set to take out four rath yatras next month. Furthermore, the party had finalised alliances with OBC-supported Apna Dal and Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party for the 2017 polls.

When contacted, SP spokesperson Mohd Shahid claimed the party was not lagging behind when it comes to campaigning for the polls.

“Opposition parties are contesting for second, third and fourth positions. SP has already reached out to the grassroots level through booth sammelans and development works of the Akhilesh government. After inauguration of some major projects like Lucknow-Agra Expressway and ‘Dial 100’ in October first week, the party will start its campaign through rath yatra and rallies,” he said.