‘If the bicycle is not ridden, there is no power…’, Akhilesh, why did he forget the advice of ‘enemies’?

Akhilesh Yadav, who came to power from the streets in 2012 with the help of ‘Cycle Yatra’, is very active on social media these days. Sometimes he is reaching Hardoi, sometimes West Bengal. Attending wedding and reception programs at various places but not going to places where people protest against the government. He talks about the general public a lot on social media but does not go and meet the general public.

Akhilesh Yadav’s staunchest political opponents are also advising him that Akhilesh Yadav is inactive in grassroots movements, whereas he is very active on social media. Hold press conferences but remain cut off from the public. Be it Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya or Suhaldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) national president Om Prakash Rajbhar, everyone’s advice is that Akhilesh Yadav should come down to the ground, but Akhilesh does not come down.

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Om Prakash Rajbhar, President, SBSP:-
Mamta Banerjee kept waiting for weeks that Akhilesh Yadav would come now. Akhilesh Yadav did not go. Where does Akhilesh go in the terrible heat? How will rallies and road shows be held? You will sweat and feel hot. You will also have to get up in the morning. The best thing to do is to do a tweet after waking up in the afternoon. Akhilesh Yadav has done this work without Naga.

What happened to Akhilesh’s bicycle?

Akhilesh Yadav had gone to Bengal but after the results of Bengal elections, when Mamata Banerjee was out of power. These things are being said for Akhilesh Yadav, whose cycle journey has marginalized Mayawati in UP politics. In the assembly elections of 2012, 2017 and 2022, Mayawati got entangled in the Samajwadi Party’s web in such a way that her vote bank slipped and merged with the Samajwadi Party, which Mayawati has not been able to manage till now.

How did Akhilesh’s cycle journey take him to power?

Assembly elections of 2012. Mulayam Singh Yadav was handing over his political legacy to Akhilesh Yadav. Its preparation had started many years ago. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power in the country, Samajwadi Party was eyeing to sit on the throne of UP. Mayawati had become such a force that she was repeatedly making Akhilesh Yadav’s path difficult in election after election.

It is not that Akhilesh Yadav entered politics in the year 2011. He had already contested his first election a decade ago in the year 2000 from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat. He was a star campaigner in the 2002 elections. Samajwadi Party had taken out ‘Kranti Rath Yatra’, which was led by Akhilesh.

Also read: ‘Adhikari had gone after getting trained from UP’, what did Akhilesh Yadav say on Bengal elections

In 2012, bicycles became popular on every tongue.

Akhilesh Yadav was successful in creating an anti-incumbency wave against Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. He took out cycle rallies of the Samajwadi Party in those districts of Uttar Pradesh, where the top leadership had never visited. Akhilesh Yadav had taken out his rally from Etawah to areas like Gorakhpur and Shravasti. Akhilesh Yadav had become popular among the people.

Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra’ and statewide cycle yatra before the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections proved to be a game-changer for the Samajwadi Party. Through this campaign, Akhilesh Yadav connected the youth with the party. Earlier, the Samajwadi Party which was accused of giving tickets to people with criminal background, Akhilesh Yadav changed this to a great extent.

Akhilesh Yadav’s image as a young leader helped break the old ‘Bahubali’ and ‘anarchy’ image of the leadership of Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Singh. The effect of going on the ground was that Samajwadi Party got strong public support in rural areas.

People who voted for the first time supported the Samajwadi Party. A promise was made to distribute laptops and bicycles to the youth, the youth also expressed confidence in that promise. Small and marginal farmers were also hopeful that if Akhilesh Yadav comes to power, he will waive the loans, this promise was also liked by the people.

Also read: Assembly elections 2027 not easy for Modi-Yogi in UP? Akhilesh Yadav made a bet

What was the effect of Akhilesh Yadav’s cycle journey?

Samajwadi Party formed a government with absolute majority on its own for the first time in the state by winning 224 seats. At the age of 38, Akhilesh Yadav became the youngest Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party was reduced to only 80 seats. BJP won a total of 47 seats. Compared to the previous unstable government, Akhilesh Yadav had come on his own. He became a national level leader in no time.

When will Akhilesh understand, ‘If the cycle does not move then there is no power…’?

Akhilesh Yadav’s staunchest opponents are also advising him to undertake cycle journey. From leaders to supporters, they are repeatedly taunting them that how will people join you if you don’t get down to ground. Akhilesh Yadav had completed a journey of about 10,000 kilometers in the cycle journey. Now his supporters want this same yatra again.

Akhilesh Yadav’s staunchest opponents are also saying that Akhilesh Yadav does not come down to the ground, he is active only on social media, does reels but does not come down to the ground. Akhilesh Yadav also argues that one of his Twitter posts scares the government. The different thing is that he has to contest elections against Bharatiya Janata Party.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party had won 37 Lok Sabha seats. Samajwadi Party gave a crushing defeat to BJP from Faizabad Lok Sabha seat. Akhilesh Yadav also presents it as an achievement again and again. It is worth noting that Trinamool Congress has lost in West Bengal when TMC had won 7 more seats in the Lok Sabha elections as compared to 2019.

Also read: ‘Chief Minister speaks chameleon language’, Akhilesh Yadav hits back at CM Yogi

Trinamool Congress suffered a major setback in the 2019 elections. In 2014, TMC had a total of 34 MPs, BJP had only 2. In 2019, 22 TMC MPs were elected, 18 from BJP. This was a big victory for BJP. Lok Sabha elections were held in 2024 and BJP’s seats decreased. 12 MPs were elected, Trinamool Congress became 29 MPs. When assembly elections were held in the year 2026, BJP won a huge majority. BJP has 207 MLAs, Trinamool Congress has only 80. The figures which were with BJP in 2021, are now with TMC.

What can Akhilesh learn?

Mamata Banerjee’s entire emphasis was only on Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Election Commission, Waqf law and vocal opposition to Narendra Modi. BJP did strict campaigning. Mamata Banerjee was cornered at the rural level on the issues of corruption, cut money, crime, law and order and development. Mamata Banerjee’s entire campaigning remained limited to the cities, whereas BJP made inroads into the villages. BJP was already in a strong position in the city. Mamata Banerjee lost her core vote. Akhilesh Yadav is still away from this strategy of BJP. Only one year is left for the elections but no strategy of Samajwadi Party is visible on the ground.