By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
Fighting with his back against the wall, SP president and ex-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav today embarked upon his Kranti Rath which had developed a snag during recent assembly polls to launch the Desh Bachak Desh Banao campaign from Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
The campaign is launched on August 9, as it marks the anniversary of Quit India movement. The slogan which was raised mostly at the campaign today was “Modi Bharat Chhodo, Sanghiyon Bharat Chhodo”.
Realising that he was cornered from all sides, Akhilesh single-handedly decided to reach out to people. As he was on his way to Faizabad, his another MLC Ashok Bajpai tendered his resignation. It did not come as a news to him. “Those who want to go, may go, but don’t make excuses,” Akhilesh had said two days ago when he was informed that several other MLCs are likely to cross the fence.
With BJP poaching his legislators, Akhilesh knew that it is the right moment to turn towards people. Highlighting the misdeeds, unfulfilled promises and rising communal tension in the state, Akhilesh has begun his journey.
Thousands of the party supporters and workers welcomed Akhilesh Yadav at Faizabad. The scene was similar to several years ago when he was appointed state president of SP and had gone on the first visit to Gonda. The road was almost similar. Then people had come out to see–Mulayam ka Ladka and now it was Akhilesh who had ruled the state for five years.
There were murmurs as Desh Bachao Desh Banao was originally the term coined for Mulayam rallies in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. SP had lost them miserably.
This time if sources are to be believed Mulayam has given a signal to attend Shaheed Sandesh Yatra by Shivpal Yadav from Etawah on independence day.
Unfazed by counter attacks both from BJP and internally by his uncle Shivpal, Akhilesh Yadav opened his box of questions first towards the state’s chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He asked Adityanath about the closure of various Samajwadi schemes which were started during his tenure. He targeted chief minister for derailed law and order situation in the state.
It is an interesting fact that as chief minister or as a political leader, Akhilesh Yadav never looked at Ayodhya and the Faizabad region with any associated political agenda. And yet he chose Faizabad for his political rally after losing the game to the BJP.
Basically, Akhilesh Yadav is eyeing on the communal agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party, and no place could be better than Faizabad. As one party leader told TwoCircles.net, “Ayodhya has everything which party needs to kickstart the agitation in the state. With the issue of Ram Temple and vested interest of BJP leaders, Faizabad stands to be the best place to counter the communal agenda of BJP and RSS.” In 2012, SP had surprised everyone by wresting Ayodhya assembly seat from BJP.
But choosing Faizabad has also set one specific target for the party, which is the Hindu vote bank of the state. SP has been considered as Muslim-favouring party in the state, and the party is thinking is move out of the image. But officially, the party does not make any such claims. Party takes freedom fighter Rajbali Yadav and August Kranti correlation as a means to mask such agenda.
Akhilesh has already set a route towards the Nationalism debate, which BJP has been using since long. A recent post over the Facebook page of Samajwadi Party, which is more of a history lesson from spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary clarifies the party’s stand.
The post starts with 1857 mutiny of sepoys and considering Gandhi as its hero. And tells how temporary governments were established in Ballia and Basti after August 9, 1942. The only post-independence leaders the post talk about are Gandhi, Rammanohar Lohiya, Jaiprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali and Acharya Narendra Dev and it jumps down directly to Akhilesh Yadav.
Rajendra Chowdhary tells that Akhilesh Yadav and socialist way of nationalism and protest is the only way that can end all the problems and sufferings of all the classes of the society.
The full post can be read here :
SP had organised the event at all district headquarters. More such rallies are in the offing. The battle has been now taken to ground. For Akhilesh, it is not a matter of win or loss but an issue of his political survival.
And for this Akhilesh has given nod to attend Lalu Prasad’s rally in Patna. May be it is a move to remain relevant among the non BJP voters in the state. Not only this he has dispatched his emissaries to Chhatisgarh and meeting may take place with Amit Jogi while another team is in touch with Jagan Reddy of Telangana.
Now Akhilesh has to search for friends outside the Yadav family which is no more united as this was the first time that all members did not met on Rakshbandhan.
[Photos Courtesy- Facebook/Samajwadi Party]