Akhilesh finds broad support within SP

It may be a matter of speculation whether the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state whose politics can cast a shadow on national affairs, will go into the state Assembly election in February as a single entity or one split between chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father, the Samajwadi Party’s founder-patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

But it is evident that the chief minister has held the upper hand in his power tussle with his father promoted assiduously behind-the-scenes by his father’s younger brother Shivpal and Amar Singh, the ace manipulator recently taken back into the SP.

Truth be told, Mulayam Singh learnt the harsh realities of life when after expelling the CM from the ruling party on Friday, the patriarch was obliged to revoke the expulsion for his son and also his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, who has shown himself to be a staunch supporter of his CM and nephew.

This followed Saturday’s developments. Nearly all SP MLAs demonstrably rallied to support their CM when they visited his home. In contrast, only a handful of the sitting MLAs visited Mulayam Singh. The “conspiracy” against Akhilesh, which some have hinted at, been defeated by the CM’s supporters.

But whether this is only an interlude cannot be foretold. The formal patch-up was effected on Saturday through senior SP leader Azam Khan. It is now for Mulayam Singh to demonstrate that if he wishes to go by the larger sentiment within his own party, a party that he has created and nurtured, he should be guided by his son’s political objectives in the distribution of tickets for the Assembly election and leave the naysayers in the cold.

This is needed for stability within the SP and in UP. Should the CM return to power, this understanding is likely to aid the state’s developmental agenda, if Akhilesh’s perspectives and some of his striking achievements as CM are an indication. There can be little doubt that the combination of Mulayam and Shivpal appeared to perpetuate the traditional social backwardness which has characterised the SP, in contrast with Akhilesh’s outlook, which finds broad approval in UP.

In order to provide himself with a political cushion against future machinations, Akhilesh may also find it prudent to strike the iron when it is hot — when his dominance in the ruling party has been demonstrably established — and seek the poll adjustments with other parties at which he has hinted in recent weeks.

For now there is no need for a trial of strength on the Assembly floor as the ruling party remains united, at least formally. Governor Ram Naik has done well to state that so far there is no “constitutional crisis” in the state. This limits the scope for fishing in troubled waters for those inclined.