Lucknow (The Hawk): The Samajwadi Party wants to strengthen its M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) support in the coming year and compete with the BJP's M-Y (Modi-Yogi), which has shown its strength in recent elections across the nation.
The Samajwadis in Uttar Pradesh have had a roller-coaster year, and the party is currently revising its 2023 strategies.
The party is working extra hard to boost its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the wake of the passing of its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and the reconciliation with Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the SP, is likewise attempting to refute claims that he is a backroom politician.
A day before Irfan Solanki, a detained party MLA, was transferred to the Maharajganj district jail, he paid him a visit in the Kanpur jail.
Additionally, he would pay a visit to the Jhansi jail, where Deepchand Yadav, another SP MLA, is being held.
It appears that Akhilesh made the decision to meet with his struggling party officials in order to encourage the party's members.
After the 2022 Assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party lost three allies in UP: the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Mahaan Dal, and Janwadi Party. However, the SP has more or less made up for the loss by enlisting Shivpal Yadav.
For his organisational prowess and capacity to inspire the party faithful, Shivpal Yadav is well-known. If given the chance, he will be crucial in preparing the party for the elections of 2024.
Additionally, his return to the SP will stop the party's Yadav voter base from becoming divided.
Under the condition of anonymity, a senior SP MLA stated that "Shivpal's return to the party fold will prove to be an elixir for the party and also galvanise the veterans who had retreated into their shells when the Akhilesh-Shivpal schism developed."
Party sources claim that Akhilesh will seek out new allies for the general elections in addition to strengthening his friendship with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Instead of concentrating on the BSP and Congress, he will concentrate on smaller groups like the Azad Samaj Party (Bhim Army).
"He is aware that the SP is the only organisation capable of opposing the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The outcomes of the most recent Assembly elections, where the SP significantly increased its vote share and doubled its seats, serve as evidence that the SP alone is capable of taking on the BJP coalition "The MLA remarked.
The SP's choice to openly endorse Muslims represents yet another significant shift in its election strategy for 2024.
Since assuming leadership of the party in 2017, Akhilesh has been promoting soft Hindutva and attempting to distance himself from a pro-Muslim stance.
"Akhilesh, however, is now speaking out against crimes against Muslims. He has come to understand that the SP should adopt his late father's Muslim-Yadav caste system. He used this tactic when he went to see Irfan Solanki in prison "a party senior claimed.
The "respectable amalgamation" of Shivpal Singh Yadav's supporters will be the major obstacle that Akhilesh must overcome in the upcoming days. He is anticipated to provide Shivpal a prominent place in the party.
Sources claim that Akhilesh will make sure that the general election ticket distribution is mostly based on winnability.
Every seat counts, and the party will make sure that candidates are chosen carefully, according to a former MLC who was well-known for being close to Akhilesh.
But Akhilesh's biggest problem is that the BJP has a very efficient organisational structure, and SP isn't yet able to compete with it.
Additionally, although the BJP has numerous leaders who carpet-bomb the entire state during elections, Akhilesh is commanding a one-man army.
(Inputs from Agencies)
