By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party national President Akhilesh Yadav has adopted broader Hindu outreach besides consolidating PDA (Pichda, dalit and Alpsangkhayak) to capture power in 2027 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh Yadav has initiated construction of huge Lord Kedareshwar Mahadev Temple in 11 acre area in his home political turf Itawah.
This temple inspired from Lord Kedarnath temple at Uttarakhand is already attracting crowds from neighbouring areas. Once completed then people from all over the country will be visiting.
Akhilesh Yadav has taken this decision to construct the temple through the trust linked to him. Why is he doing this?
Akhilesh Yadav wants to change the narrative that his party was only pro-Muslim. He is seeking to distance himself from the policies pursued by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav during his tenure as the Chief Minister. His supporters say that the firing on karsewaks took place in Ayodhya when his father Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief minister of UP. . The UP Hindus still think that Mulayam Singh Yadav shouldn’t have done it to appease the Muslims.
Beside construction of the temple at Itawah, Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav MP are seen visiting all important temples all over the country and publicising in the media and social media their visits.
Significantly enough, Akhilesh Yadav is also seen visiting the prominent saints seeking their blessings.
The former CM is also seen celebrating all the Hindu religious festivals at home to set the political narrative of being sincere to take all castes and religions with him.
Former chief minister took the side of Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati who had earlier questioned the timing of inauguration of Ram Temple earlier and again fought with Yogi government and district administration of Prayagraj when denied snan. Akhilesh Yadav was very critical of Yogi government and came out in open to support Shankracharya Avimukteshwaranand. During the visit of Shankracharya, senior leaders from Samajwadi Party visited him and sought his blessings.
It can be mentioned here when BJP Brahmin MLAs held several meetings to raise their voice and made it clear that they were neglected by their own party and government, it was a great embarrassment for the government as well as BJP high Command.
Akhilesh Yadav immediately came out in support of powerful Brahmin community and demanded that they should be given respect by Yogi government. CM Yogi Adityanath is a Thakur. So Akhilesh is campaigning that Yogi is mistreating the Brahmins and Dalits apart from Muslims. It will be seen how this new strategy of the SP president gives dividends in the 2027 state assembly polls. (IPA Service)
