New Aggressive Akhilesh
With the Election Commission coming down heavily on mass rallies, there is a feeling that the edge may go to the BJP since most national channels tend to be pro establishment, for a variety of reasons. Having realised that, Samajwadi Paty chief Akhilesh Yadav has come up with his own solution to the problem. Instead of refusing interviews to the mainstream media, he is going there and turns the questions around, shifting focus on the track record of the Yogi government. With the EC banning election rallies he is doing interviews at the sites of projects completed by him when he was CM so these get a play as well. It’s a new, aggressive Akhilesh, who is not just taking on the BJP but also stepping out of his father’s shadow in these elections. He has also begun doing a daily press conference that draws enough crowds (both the media and party workers) for the BJP to refer to it as a virus rally not a virtual one. Whether he wins or not, his body language is certainly showing the swag of a fighter.
Old world courtesy
When Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting of his allies at his party office at the Janeshwar Mishra Trust in Lucknow, he made it a point to seat the only woman ally present there at the head of the table. The courtesy shown to Apna Dal leader Krishna Patel may not transcend to the number of seats he will offer to the alliance partner, but in terms of optics it went a long way to assuage the patriarchal image of the Samajwadi Party.
Is Swami Prasad Maurya the Paswan of UP?
Bihar leader late Ram Vilas Paswan was known as the weathervane of politics, for the Lok Jan Shakti leader had tied up with the UPA in 2004 but crossed over to the NDA in 2014 at a time when the BJP came to power. Swami Prasad Maurya too had tied up with Mayawati but crossed over to the BJP during the last state polls at a time when the party came to power, but during this election has walked over to the Samajwadi Party. In fact, he begins his own speeches complimenting his own ability to sense a regime change and is already taking credit for the next government, which he is confident will be led by the Samajwadi Party backed by him. Akhilesh should take heed, for if his party comes to power, he will have a very demanding ally on his hands. Meanwhile, the BJP has released an old video of Swami Prasad Maurya referring to Akhilesh’s party as mafia raj in 2016. However, he has given the opposition a catchy slogan in these elections to counter Yogi Adityanath’s 80 vs 20 line, with his own political math saying its 85 vs 15 aur pandrah mein bhi batwara hai (even the 15% is divided). The BJP has hit back with its own math, pointing out that Maurya can hardly be described as a community leader, alleging that the only reason he quit on election eve was because he wanted tickets for his son and daughter. Well, it’s election time, let the games begin.
Channi vs Sidhu in Punjab?
There is pressure on the Congress leadership to announce a CM face before the state goes to polls in Punjab. Both the contenders have thrown their hats in the ring—from the sitting CM Charanjit Singh Channi to his bete-noir and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. The latter has since changed track and was recently heard stating that the chosen MLAs should decide the new CM and not the high command. There is a reason for this; Sidhu knows that there is no way the party will disown a sitting CM right before polls by anointing another. Then, Channi is also a Dalit leader and the Congress wants to send a larger message, beyond Punjab with his elevation. Having said this, whether the Congress announces him or not, there is little doubt that should the party come back to power in Punjab, Channi will remain its CM candidate. His recent brush with the BJP over PM’s security has only added to his heft (which was admittedly missing before this incident). Until now, Sidhu’s one USP with the Gandhi siblings was that he did not hesitate to target the PM directly. Now, Channi shares the same space. Earlier his detractors used to refer to him as Chavanni (25 paise); but after having locked horns with the PM, his political currency has multiplied overnight within the Congress. Sidhu has a tougher fight on his hands than he had bargained for.