The feud within the Yadav clan could be detrimental to the fortunes of the Samajwadi Party (SP) during the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The feud within the Yadav clan could be detrimental to the fortunes of the Samajwadi Party (SP) during the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Political pundits feel if the feud escalates, the state could see the main electoral battle between the BJP and Mayawati-led BSP. The BJP, which had a stunning performance during the 2014 general elections, has already began positioning itself by launching an attack on the ruling SP and the feud within. Out of power since 2002 in this politically crucial state, the BJP termed the “rift” in the SP as a “civil war” and asserted that the people of Uttar Pradesh are having to pay the price for it.
“Since Akhilesh Yadav is flexing his muscles to show that he is chief minister, then why is he not taking action against Shivpal Yadav, who is embroiled in multiple scams and controversies And, if at some point Mulayam Singh Yadav feels that his son is unsuccessful, then why is Akhilesh Yadav the chief minister in the first place All this is not being missed by the people of UP,” said BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh.
In UP, where caste plays an important role, the BJP has been trying to fine-tune its caste arithmetic. Dalits and OBCs are numerically dominant castes in UP. In the BJP, there is a view that going without a face when SP, BSP and even the Congress have their chief ministerial candidates, could dent its poll prospects.
BJP poll strategists, however, claim that the saffron party’s chances are better as both the SP and BSP are battling internal feuds. While in the SP its the first family that is currently facing feud, BSP supremo Mayawati is slowly losing grip over her party as most of its leaders including senior leaders, are joining the saffron fold. BJP poll strategists feel that the “growing disillusionment” within the dalits over Ms Mayawati’s leadership could go in its favour as the party’s main poll planks are development and good governance, something which UP lacks.
The Yadav family feud spilled into the open after the chief minister Akhilesh stripped Cabinet minister and his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios on September 13.
Earlier, the chief minister had also axed state chief secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shivpal Yadav, and replaced him with Rahul Bhatnagar. There had been other instances also of disagreements between the chief minister and his uncle. Quami Ekta Dal’s merger with the SP, initiated by Mr Shivpal Yadav, also got halted because the CM was not in favour of SP getting associated with criminal turned politician Mukhtar Ansari’s political outfit.
