Akhilesh Yadav eyes expansion of SP beyond UP

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav now wants to build a pan-India presence for his party. Mr Yadav is focusing on states like Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh where his party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and, hopefully, pick up a few seats too.

The Samajwadi Party had contested the assembly elections in Gujarat, Bihar and Karnataka but could not win seats.

However, the party’s victory in four recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh namely — Gorakhpur, Phulpur, Kairana and Noorpur —  has enthused the Samajwadis who are preparing to conquer newer pastures.

 “Mr Yadav will begin touring these states from July. His programme for Madhya Pradesh on July 19 and 20 has already been finalized. Mr Yadav is attracting youth in large numbers and his clean image is making people turn to the Samajwadi Party,” said party member Rajendra Chaudhary. According to sources close to Mr Yadav, the SP president wants to enhance the party’s status to a national party and project himself as a leader of considerable stature – just like Ms Mayawati.

“There are people coming to us from places as far as Andaman and Leh asking the party president to build up the party in these places.  Mr Yadav feels this is a positive sign and will be touring these places” said an aide.

Mr Yadav will be picking up local youth in states outside Uttar Pradesh to build up the party. “His focus is on the youth because he feels that they are the leaders of tomorrow”, the aide added.

A party strategist said that the biggest advantage that Mr Akhilesh Yadav enjoys is that he is acceptable to youth in urban as well as rural areas.

“He is familiar with farmer woes and can relate to them.  His education abroad has equipped him with the ability to deal with problems of urban youth,” the party functionary added.