Mulayam realises he's too old to take on Rahul
With Rahul Gandhi's intervention in Uttar Pradesh paying handsome dividends, Samajwadi Party has sought to counter him with appointment of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh as state party chief.
By ET Bureau |
LUCKNOW: With Rahul Gandhi's intervention in Uttar Pradesh paying handsome dividends and his success at capturing the imagination of the youth, the Samajwadi Party has sought to counter him with the appointment of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh as the state party chief.
General secretary Ram Gopal Yadav announced on Wednesday that the party���s national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had appointed Akhilesh as the new state president, which would send a positive message among the youth.
Akhilesh would replace Mulayam���s younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav as the state unit chief, who had recently been appointed as leader of the opposition in the state assembly, reserving all the key posts in the party for the Yadav clan.
With Mulayam Singh Yadav tactically choosing to play a central role in New Delhi after resigning from the assembly seat held by him, his 36-year-old son Akhilesh Yadav would now be projected as the face and future of the Samajwadi Party.
Akhilesh Yadav, who was first elected to Parliament from Kannauj in the 2000 by-election, was till now heading the frontal youth bodies of the party. The three-time MP, Akhilesh Yadav, was elected from two constituencies of Kannauj and Ferozabad in the just-concluded general elections. Though SP bagged the largest tally of 23 MPs from UP in the 2009 general
elections, it was way below its dominance during the 2004 parliamentary polls, when it had won 35 seats.
With Rahul Gandhi making it clear that he would keep playing a central role in reviving the party in UP, the SP leadership sought to propel Akhilesh Yadav at the helm of affairs in the state to attract the youth to the party.
SP leadership feels that with the foreign-educated Akhilesh Yadav being pitched to the forefront, the party would be able to counter the Rahul Gandhi effect among the youth and urban voters, who are now seeking newer faces and ideas in the political mileu. Akhilesh Yadav, who has been quietly working on the party organisation for last many years, had been among the major campaigners of the party in the 2009 elections.
After the hue and cry among the educated class over the SP manifesto which sought to ban English and computers, Akhilesh was quick to clarify that the party was not against their usage, but was only concerned about the underprivileged who do not have access to such education.
General secretary Ram Gopal Yadav announced on Wednesday that the party���s national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had appointed Akhilesh as the new state president, which would send a positive message among the youth.
Akhilesh would replace Mulayam���s younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav as the state unit chief, who had recently been appointed as leader of the opposition in the state assembly, reserving all the key posts in the party for the Yadav clan.
With Mulayam Singh Yadav tactically choosing to play a central role in New Delhi after resigning from the assembly seat held by him, his 36-year-old son Akhilesh Yadav would now be projected as the face and future of the Samajwadi Party.
Akhilesh Yadav, who was first elected to Parliament from Kannauj in the 2000 by-election, was till now heading the frontal youth bodies of the party. The three-time MP, Akhilesh Yadav, was elected from two constituencies of Kannauj and Ferozabad in the just-concluded general elections. Though SP bagged the largest tally of 23 MPs from UP in the 2009 general
elections, it was way below its dominance during the 2004 parliamentary polls, when it had won 35 seats.
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On the other hand, the Rahul Gandhi effect saw Congress more than double its figure from nine to 21 MPs in UP and has caused alarm bells in the SP camp, which sees part of its votebank drifting towards Congress. Much of Congress success was due to the party capturing SP���s Muslim votebank and the youth coming out in its favour. With Rahul Gandhi making it clear that he would keep playing a central role in reviving the party in UP, the SP leadership sought to propel Akhilesh Yadav at the helm of affairs in the state to attract the youth to the party.
SP leadership feels that with the foreign-educated Akhilesh Yadav being pitched to the forefront, the party would be able to counter the Rahul Gandhi effect among the youth and urban voters, who are now seeking newer faces and ideas in the political mileu. Akhilesh Yadav, who has been quietly working on the party organisation for last many years, had been among the major campaigners of the party in the 2009 elections.
After the hue and cry among the educated class over the SP manifesto which sought to ban English and computers, Akhilesh was quick to clarify that the party was not against their usage, but was only concerned about the underprivileged who do not have access to such education.
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