The New Year is going to put up a tough test for political scions of major political parties.
The New Year is going to put up a tough test for political scions of major political parties.
With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh now exactly a year away, it is up to the political scions to prove their worth and consolidate their place in the party as well as in national politics. Most of the scions will be taking the yatra route to reach out to people this year.
The year is most crucial for UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav who faces the biggest test of his career next year when Assembly elections are held. If he can ensure the return of his party to power, he will be firmly crowned the king of Samajwadis and will no longer face any challenge or threat from his “uncles”.
Mr Yadav will soon be embarking on his yatra where he will connect directly with the people and ties up the loose ends in his governance.
For Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh will also be a major test. Mr Gandhi, who is likely to take over as party president this year, will find a smooth road ahead if he can improve his party’s fortunes in this state.
Mr Gandhi, according to Congress sources, will be concentrating on UP in 2016 and will be touring the backward regions of the state, beginning with Bundelkhand.
In the BJP, all eyes are fixed on young party MP Varun Gandhi who is already the most favoured choice among party men for the chief minister’s candidate.
Mr Varun Gandhi has successfully established connect with the youth in the state, but will have to deal with the factionalism in the party that continues to dominate the state unit of the BJP.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal, on the other hand, is now depending on former MP Jayant Chaudhary for the revival of the party that faced a rout in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Chaudhary, who is the heir apparent of RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh, will be taking out a yatra for three months to “gauge the mood of voters”.
Mr Jayant Chaudhary, sources said, will be leading the party campaign for the 2017 elections and will take an early lead to bring back the RLD’s traditional Jat votebank that had shifted to the BJP in 2014.
The UP Assembly elections will not only test the ability of these political scions, but will also have a bearing on the future of the parties to which they belong.
