These days, one name is at the center of discussion in the politics of Uttar Pradesh and that is Pooja Shukla. This young leader of Samajwadi Party has suddenly created a stir in the political circles. Recently, Pooja Shukla’s activism in Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati’s program in Lucknow and ‘Cow Raksha Dharma Yatra’ has surprised everyone. The way the demand for declaring Mother Cow as ‘Mother of the Nation’ was raised on the stage and on posters, it is not just being seen as a religious program but as a big ‘masterstroke’ of Akhilesh Yadav for the 2027 assembly elections. Political pundits believe that this step is a well-planned strategy of SP to make a big dent in the traditional vote bank of BJP.
Lathi and jail…such is the story of Pooja Shukla
The political journey of Pooja Shukla, who belongs to a middle-class family, has been quite a struggle. In 2017, while studying at Lucknow University, he had attracted the attention of the country by showing a black flag to the convoy of the then CM. After this incident he had to go to jail, but he did not lose courage. Later, during anti-CAA-NRC protests, she also took to the streets and went to jail again. Her militant image has established her as a struggling youth leader, who does politics not from AC rooms but on the streets.
When Mulayam Singh Yadav recognized ‘Heera’
The biggest change in Pooja Shukla’s life came when she met SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav ‘Netaji’. Netaji, who knew the ins and outs of the workers, immediately sensed the hidden talent in Pooja and gave her a big responsibility in the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha. After this, Akhilesh Yadav also expressed confidence in him and gave him ticket from a challenging seat like Lucknow Central in the 2022 assembly elections. Even though she lost the election, her strong claim has greatly increased her stature in SP.
Akhilesh’s ‘Brahmin card’ for 2027?
Samajwadi Party is generally known for ‘PDA’ (Backward, Dalit, Minority) politics, but by putting forward Pooja Shukla, Akhilesh Yadav is preparing a new social engineering. The role of Brahmin voters in UP has always been decisive in making or breaking the government. Pooja Shukla’s outspokenness on issues related to cow protection and Sanatan Dharma is a clear indication that SP is now preparing to bring upper caste voters also into its fold. By making Pooja the emerging ‘Brahmin face’ of the party, Akhilesh has played a big political gamble to push the opposition into a defensive posture.
Comments are closed.