The Samajwadi Party is completely banking on UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to lead the party in the 2017 Assembly elections.
The Samajwadi Party is completely banking on UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to lead the party in the 2017 Assembly elections.
Unlike 2012, when the party rode to power with slogans like “Jiska jalwa kayam hai, uska naam Mulayam hai”, and “Mann se hai Mulayam par iraade loha hai”, this time the catch line for the party is “Kaho phir se, Akhilesh dil se”.
Slogans like ‘“Unnati ka naam Uttar Pradesh — Akhilesh, Akhilesh” and “Poore hue wade, ab hain naye iraade” are already appearing on party posters and hoardings.
The focus of the campaign, in short, has shifted completely from Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav to Mr Akhilesh Yadav.
“Keeping in mind the appeal of Akhilesh Yadav among the youth and his clean image, the party is almost compelled to allow him to lead the campaign. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and other veteran leaders will now work as patrons and advisers, but it is Akhilesh Yadav who will remain in the driving seat,” said a minister.
If party sources are to be believed, the CM has already sent out a clear message by getting his own team elected to the UP Vidhan Parishad this month. A number of senior leaders clamouring for a term in the Upper House were left out in the cold and Akhilesh aides like Anand Bhadauria, Sunil Sajan, Udayvir Yadav, Santosh Yadav and Rajesh Yadav made it to the Vidhan Parishad.
“This time it is going to be Mr Akhilesh Yadav who will have a final say in ticket distribution and there are going to be some important names that will be struck off the list,” the party functionary said.
The manifesto for the 2017 elections will also have the Akhilesh stamp and populist schemes that backfired, like tablet distribution and unemployment allowance, may not find a place.
