By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party national President and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has to learn lessons from the defeat of TMC in Bengal assembly polls. Otherwise it would be very difficult for Samajwadi Party to put up challenge before resurgent BJP in 2027 assembly polls in UP. Akhilesh Yadav will have to re-organize and INDIA block to unite the entire opposition to face BJP and NDA in UP polls.
Had Mamata Banerjee taken left parties and Congress with her in Bengal Elections the situation would have been different. The combined vote percentage of Congress and left parties comes to seven per cent while the difference of vote percent between TMC and BJP is only 5.1 per cent.. Anti-Congress mood in regional parties will not help them to take on BJP which was evident in Bengal assembly polls.
Now Akhilesh Yadav will have to take the initiative to get in touch with Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA block leaders to join hands to prevent split of votes of non-BJP political parties. Akhilesh Yadav will have to take smaller parties and caste based groups and share tickets intelligently during the elections next year. TMC defeat made it clear that it would be very difficult to face the electorates if the party is identified with only one community or religion.
There is no doubt that Akhilesh Yadav is strengthening PDA (pichda, dalit and alpsangkhayak) consisting backwards, dalits and Minorities from state capital to grassroot levels. Commenting on the defeat of TMC in Bengal Samajwadi Party national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda blamed lack of governance and high level corruption as the few main reasons. Despite being partner in INDIA bloc, Kironmoy Nanda distanced himself from the campaign in the elections.
Akhilesh Yadav will have to present the alternative model of governance to counter the anti-incumbency against Yogi Adityanath government which is ruling since 2017. There is a decline in BJP seats since 2017. The loss 30 seats in Lok Sabha shocked the BJP high Command in 2024 polls. The growth of Samajwadi Party with 39 seats was phenomenal and it emerged as third largest party in Lok Sabha after BJP and Congress.
Samajwadi Party will have to set new narratives to appeal to masses looking toward better governance, security and solutions for growing unemployment. Majority of the voters is youth which is looking for creation of jobs and better industrial climate to attract investment. Caste and communal tension in the society prevents the investors to come to state.
Samajwadi Party has already entered into contract with IPAC to evolve the strategy and micro-management of booth level workers and other methods for better campaigning.
Beside strengthening PDA, Akhilesh Yadav is also playing soft Hindutva card to win over the upper caste as well. He does not want to be seen as pro-Muslim the charge being levelled by BJP and the Sangh Parivar members since firing was ordered against karsewaks in Ayodhya in 1990 when his father Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister.
Akhilesh Yadav is also constructing a huge temple of Lord Shiva by the name of Kedareshwar Mahadev temple inspired by Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand. This is being done to counter Hindutva of BJP and the Sangh Parivar in 2027 assembly polls. The temple under construction is in home turf of Yadav family Itawah district.
SP President also makes the efforts to visit the selected temples and seeks blessings from Shankaracharya and other important saints. He is always seen celebrating Hindu religious festivals at home and party headquarters with pics circulating in social media.
The selection of alliance partners and distribution of tickets to party candidates will also play important role in deciding the performance of Samajwadi Party in UP polls in 2027.
The surprise victory of TVK in Tamil Nadu should also be seen as message from youth which is looking toward to good governance and creating jobs and better environment for investors to come to UP for better growth. (IPA Service)
