Akhilesh Yadav faces huge challenge in quelling dissent, motivating cadre and reaching masses

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party was resoundingly beaten by the Bharatiya Janata Party but Akhilesh Yadav, still in his early 40s, can’t be counted out. One top party official put it this way — in the battle between Akhilesh and Narendra Modi, the latter emerged as the more popular figure, adding that Uttar Pradesh was the only state in which the chief minister was pitted against the prime minister.

But he will need to get out onto the streets and campaign relentlessly to make a political comeback, quelling dissent within besides uniting and inspiring demoralised party cadre, said various top SP workers that ET spoke with. The vote clearly wasn’t against Akhilesh, said the leader cited above, or else the SP would have ended at the level of Bahujan Samaj Party, which was almost wiped out in terms of seats.

The Congress, which won nine seats, is almost at the same count as the BSP. This proves that the greater target of voter ire was Congress, which has been trounced in its strongholds of Amethi and Raebareli.

Akhilesh had campaigned on the platform of development and social cohesion, tying up with the Congress party and trying to sell the alliance as a political force led by two relatively younger and more dynamic men.

The SP’s focus should now be on rebuilding the organisation and preparing for the 2019 general elections, besides tweaking its message. “We have to communicate to the people and not to our rivals.

Abusing Modi worked to the BJP’s advantage,” the person said. Meanwhile, the rumblings within will need to be quelled. Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal haven’t been too happy with the way the election has been fought or the alliance with Congress. Even stepmother Sadhna has voiced such sentiments.

“He would have to manage dissent within the party and family as well as reach out to the public as an opposition leader,” said a senior SP leader. “Satta ki taakat hoti hai, toh bheed rehti hai (If you-’re in power, then people will be with you),” the leader said.

Akhilesh’s biggest advantage, the person said, is that he isn’t disliked or the butt of vicious jokes like Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, SP and BSP voters who have moved to the BJP need to be pulled back and consolidated under Akhilesh.

“Mayawati’s voters and our voters shifted away to the BJP,” the person said. “Getting them back should be his primary aim in the coming time.”

Containing the voices of dissent, primarily that of Shivpal, will be a challenge. But another SP leader said the uncle’s ability to damage the nephew is limited since it’s already clear he never supported Akhilesh. “We have nothing to lose now since now there is nothing to save,” said this person.

TAKING CONTROL OF PARTY
Akhilesh will have to immediately take control of the party and consolidate his position as its leader, the person said.

“His biggest challenge would be to emerge as a strong opposition leader. Netaji played the role of a strong opposition leader as well. Akhilesh would have to go among the people. Sangharsh karna padega,” another SP leader said.

The party cadre will need direction from Akhilesh, who will have to embark on an unremitting bid to regain wide political support.

“Asli pariksha ki ghadi hai. Worker ko lekar chalna padega (It’s time for a true test. He will have to take the party workers along with him). He cannot take even a day’s rest. Our cadre is known to come out on the streets against governments.

He should be prepared to even go to jail in his role as an opposition party leader,” the person said.

The young Yadav will also have to create caste leaders in the state given that BJP’s caste combination also worked to its advantage.