Lucknow: Rebel Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and head of the newly formed Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM), Shivpal Singh Yadav, has started striking at the supportbase of the Akhilesh Yadav led SP.
The veteran politician is targeting the Yadavs-Muslim support base of SP, apart from weaning away socialist leaders who have no place in the ‘new Samajwadi Party’ led by Mr Akhilesh Yadav.
In a list of 30 district presidents for SSM, announced by Mr Shivpal Yadav, 12 are Yadavs and five are Muslims. Mr Shivpal Yadav has appointed Yadavs as district presidents in Etawah, Etah, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Sonebhadra, Azamgarh, Ballia, Mau, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Farukkhabad and Faizabad districts. He has named district presidents from the Muslim community in Ferozabad, Farukkhabad (city) , Banda, Lakhimpur Kheri and Baghpat.
Sources said that majority of district presidents who have been given organizational posts by Mr Shivpal Yadav are those who held similar posts in SP, when Mr Shivpal Yadav was state president. More Yadavs and Muslims have been tipped off for organizational responsibilities in the SSM.
SSM spokesperson Mohd Shahid said that dedicated workers from all sections of society are being given representation to strengthen the SSM. He said a list announcing names of district presidents of the outfit in the 45 other districts of UP will be released soon. “Mr Shivpal Yadav is marinating a caste and regional balance which will help the Morcha gain strength,” he said.
Insiders said that Mr Shivpal Yadav is focusing on the Etawah-Kannauj- Etah-Farukkhabad belt, which is considered to be the stronghold of the SP.
“Mr Shivpal Yadav has an army of supporters in this region because while he was active in SP, he built up this support base. Since Mr Akhilesh Yadav is outrightly rejecting those who were close to his estranged uncle, it is only natural that these leaders are veering towards Mr Shivpal Yadav,” said an insider.
Political observers feel that by wooing Yadavs in Etawah, Etah, Kannauj, Ferozabad belt, Mr Shivpal Yadav is striking at the base of the SP, which is not good news for Mr Akhilesh Yadav because a split in the support base could make a huge difference to the prospects of SP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
There are also talks of Mr Shivpal Yadav’s party joining hands with Raja Bhaiyya’s proposed party that will be announced next month. Raja Bhaiyya, once a close confidant of Mr Akhilesh Yadav, had snapped his ties with SP when the party warmed up to BSP during Rajya Sabha elections in April. If Mr Shivpal Yadav ties up with Raja Bhaiyya, he will get the advantage of Thakur votes as well.
