With just about a month left for the Uttar Pradesh elections, the ruling Samajwadi Party that claims to be set for a comeback, has virtually called off its campaign.
Sources say that infighting and a lack of confidence in the party leadership is responsible for the lack of interest in the campaign.
SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, till date, has addressed two rallies—one in Ghazipur last month and then another in Bareilly. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav did not join his father in either of the rallies since they were organised by his estranged uncle and state president Shivpal Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav is said to be rather upset with his son’s refusal to join him in the rallies and also the fact that the CM has not taken back the sacked ministers, including state president Shivpal Yadav.
“In any case, due to health issues, Mulayam Singh Yadav may not be able to address more than three or four rallies in January,” said a senior party functionary.
The CM’s own “Vikas se Vijay Tak” yatra has remained a non-starter after the red Mercedes bus that was designed for his yatra, developed a snag minutes after it was flagged off on 3 November.
The Chief Minister completed the first leg of his yatra to Unnao—a distance of about 80 kms. Later he went from Moradabad to Rampur. The rath, since more than the past one month, has been standing at his official residence and there is no word about the CM’s programme for the campaign.
According to sources close to Akhilesh Yadav, he is waiting for the entire list of candidates to be released before he starts campaigning.
“He has already made it clear that he will not campaign for candidates who owe loyalty to Shivpal Yadav. He will also not campaign for those who have criminal antecedents. Once the picture on the candidates emerges clearly, he will decide his campaign programme,” the aide said.
The Samajwadi Party has already declared about 175 candidates and all of them are on seats that the party had lost in 2012. The list of candidates on the sitting seats is yet to be announced and it is on these seats that the actual loyalty test will be done.
Shivpal Yadav recently admitted at a public function that he had not met the Chief Minister in December. “But if he calls me, I have no ego issues and will go and meet him,” he said.
With the split between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh almost formalised, another development is troubling the party leadership. A new front called the Akhilesh Yadav Samajwadi Party has been formed in Ferozabad which is the constituency of Akshay Yadav, son of Prof Ram Gopal Yadav. The announcement was made by Anshul Vikram Singh, former district head of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha.
The move to form a separate front is being viewed in political circles as a revolt against the state president of the party Shivpal Yadav by youth wing members who are close to Prof Ram Gopal Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
“We do not rule out the possibility of this front fielding its own candidates. The disinterest being shown by Akhilesh in party matters is troubling the leadership,” said a senior party leader.
Shivpal supporters, meanwhile, claim that their leader is caught between the proverbial devil and the deep sea.
“He is emotionally attached to Mulayam Singh and will never go against him. His relationship with Akhilesh has reached a dead end and there is almost no future for him in the party but he has no options either. He cannot campaign on his own unless the party president asks him to,” said a Shivpal supporter.