Political activities have intensified regarding the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) has made a very big and shocking change in its election strategy. The party has reportedly taken a tough decision that dissident leaders and ministers in the ruling alliance will no longer be included in the SP under any circumstances.
The SP leadership clearly believes that taking such turncoat leaders on board sends a wrong message to the public. Due to this, instead of getting any political or electoral benefit, the party may have to suffer losses.
Big lesson learned from the bitter experience of 2022
According to SP strategists, the experience of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is the main reason behind this big decision of the party. Just before the last elections, big faces like the then cabinet ministers of the BJP government, Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan had joined SP. At that time, the party hoped that with the arrival of these powerful leaders, the non-Yadav OBC equation would be strengthened, but when the results came, the party did not get any significant benefit from it.
Apart from this, it is also deeply believed within the SP that the continuous arrival of outside leaders creates a lot of uneasiness and disappointment among the old, loyal leaders and grassroots workers of the party. For this reason, now in every decision related to ticket distribution and organization in the upcoming elections, emphasis is being laid on the strategy of giving priority to old workers and core cadre of the party instead of outside faces.
Distance from dissatisfied and rebel leaders of the ruling coalition
According to information received from SP sources, some ministers in the BJP government and senior leaders of allies may try to change sides as the elections approach. However, the SP high command has given a strong signal to keep the doors of its party completely closed for such potential defectors.
The party's direct argument is that giving the SP symbol or including them in the party to leaders against whom there is resentment among the people of their area, can cause huge damage to the clean image of the SP itself.
Akhilesh Yadav cornered the government on law and order
Meanwhile, SP National President Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the BJP government of the state regarding exploitation of PDA (backward, Dalit and minority) society, increasing crime, unbridled corruption and unemployment. He mentioned the recent incidents while raising serious questions on the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh directly linked cases like the murder of Saurabh Vishwakarma in Pratapgarh, assault on a doctor in Badaun and murder of an electricity contractor in Gorakhpur to the breakdown of law and order.
Along with this, he also raised the issue of rising inflation, widespread corruption in government departments, crimes against women, encroachment of lands and deaths in police custody. He also put the government in the dock regarding the repeated paper leaks in competitive examinations and alleged rigging in the reservation of PDA community.
Akhilesh also expressed objection regarding the attack on Sukhbir Badal
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also described the deadly attack on Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal as a very serious matter. Terming it a major lapse in the security system of Maharashtra, he expressed concern over this incident and wished for the speedy recovery of Sukhbir Singh Badal.