Slipping ground for Mulayam
Is a major blow to the Mulayam Singh Yadav group, his rebel son Akhilesh won his first battle by securing recognition of being the real Samajwadi Party its election symbol Cycle by the decision of Election Commission's decision with the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh round the corner. In what amounts to a big humiliation and a setback to his hopes, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was the party's founder, has been completely marginalised in the new scheme of things.
Akhilesh, whom he had appointed as the Chief Minister and who was his shadow until he grew out of the father's overpowering influence a few months ago, will now be watched for how he steers the party on his own in this crucial phase. The commission took so long to give its order that there was utter confusion in the ranks of the Samajwadis, not knowing which way they should go. While Mulayam had been blowing alternately hot and cold in regard to Akhilesh, the latter had been hobnobbing and planning his next move with Rahul Gandhi and Ajit Singh in one breath and planning an independent contingency plan in the other.
The Samajwadi Party has always leaned heavily on the Muslim vote which is also a vital vote bank for the Bahujan Samaj Party. The Muslims constitute nearly 19 per cent of the UP electorate and SP has pandered to the minority in so brazen a manner over the years that Mulayam began to be called ‘Maulana Mulayam' by many in jest.
Seeing the ground slipping from under his feet with the revolt by Akhilesh's group, the wily old veteran had said openly a few hours before the EC announced its decision that his group would set up candidates against Akhilesh's men and that he cannot allow Akhilesh to reach out to the BJP at the cost of the party's long-standing bonds with the Muslim electorate. Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi were banking upon together raking in the Muslim votes but they would now have to contend with Mulayam's stiffening opposition.
As the battle rages, BSP supremo Mayawati and the BJP are salivating at the prospect of the SP factions cutting each other's votes. But the decisive EC verdict has given Akhilesh a clear edge. As for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he is neither a good strategist nor a good campaigner and association with him may well turn out to be a liability for Akhilesh.
On Akhilesh reaching out to the BJP, it may well be a canard because the BJP has always been anathema to him but it could even be a contingency plan if the alliance with the Congress falls through at the last minute. Whatever the BSP may say about BJP's diabolical plans against Mayawati, which it claims triggered the raids on her brother's businesses which in effect unearthed extensive alleged benami transactions and black money deals, there can be little doubt that Mayawati's reputation has got dented, affecting her party's electoral prospects. The BJP would predictably come out trumps in all this but it is handicapped by the absence of a local level strong leader.
