Despite the impending bye-elections for 9 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for November 13, the campaign efforts have yet to gain significant momentum.The Samajwadi Party appears to be trailing the BJP in its campaign efforts, despite being in direct competition with a party that has strategically assigned ministers and leaders to oversee every constituency well in advance of the election announcement.
The Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has personally undertaken visits to each seat on at least one occasion. A multitude of schemes has been initiated. In addition to this, the BJP has designated the Deputy Chief Ministers, in-charge ministers, MLAs, and MPs to oversee responsibilities in these constituencies. The campaign has commenced modestly across all nine seats; however, the election efforts of the SP are predominantly evident in the Karhal seat, which serves as the familial stronghold of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The vacancy in the Mainpuri district seat arose as a result of Mr. Yadav’s resignation. Tej Pratap Yadav, the son-in-law of Lalu Prasad Yadav and nephew, is standing for election from that constituency.
The complete family of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav has rallied in support of Tej Pratap, with Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav establishing a presence in Karhal. Mr. Yadav has visited that location on two occasions. Nevertheless, the senior leaders of the SP had not yet commenced their campaigning efforts in the remaining eight constituencies. In these constituencies, the SP appears to be trailing the BJP with respect to their campaigning efforts. Shivpal Singh Yadav has been appointed as the in-charge in Katehari; however, it has been reported that the campaigning will begin following the Diwali festival. On Monday, leaders from the SP asserted that Dimple Yadav has exerted her utmost effort in Karhal. This position presents a challenging dilemma for the SP. Akhilesh Yadav secured victory in the 2022 assembly elections, surpassing SP Singh Baghel by over 68,000 votes, who held the position of Union Minister at that time.
This time, the BJP has nominated Anujesh Yadav, who is the brother-in-law of Dharmendra Yadav, a cousin of Akhilesh Yadav. Notably, Dharmendra Yadav has severed ties with his brother-in-law following his decision to join the BJP. By granting a ticket to a family member, the BJP has inadvertently placed its constituents in a complex religious dilemma. In this context, Dimple Yadav, the sitting MP from Mainpuri and a custodian of Mulayam Singh’s parliamentary legacy, finds her credibility under scrutiny. There are indications that the BJP sought to have Aparna Yadav, the daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, stand for election in this constituency; however, she was reportedly unwilling to do so.
Sources indicate that the party intends to dispatch senior leaders in conjunction with MLAs and MPs to engage in campaigning across all nine constituencies where by-elections are forthcoming. The party presently comprises 37 Members of Parliament and 105 Members of the Legislative Assembly. Among these, 7 MLAs have taken a dissenting stance. This indicates that the SP possesses a total of 98 MLAs. Currently, J Baig and Ramakant Yadav are incarcerated. Shivpal Singh Yadav has been appointed as the senior leader responsible for overseeing Katehri. He had also ventured there to secure the nomination. Following a three-day campaign, he made his way back to Lucknow.
Representatives affiliated with the Samajwadi Party indicate that Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to tour all assembly segments following the Diwali festivities. Furthermore, it is only post-Diwali that additional prominent leaders will be allocated responsibilities on an assembly basis. Regarding the preparations for the polls, SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhury remarked on Monday that the campaign is currently experiencing a slight slowdown due to the ongoing festivals; however, it is anticipated to gain momentum following Diwali.The party has unveiled the roster of prominent campaigners. The national president of the party, Akhilesh Yadav, has also engaged in campaigning efforts. He had participated in programs in Karhal. In the forthcoming days, he may embark on campaigning for additional seats,” the spokesperson remarked.
In the interim, the Samajwadi Party has unveiled its roster of prominent campaigners for the upcoming by-elections, featuring individuals whose participation in campaigning appears to be quite challenging. This encompasses individuals such as SP national general secretary Mohammad Azam Khan and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan. Given Azam Khan’s incarceration, Jaya Bachchan has refrained from engaging in campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, suggesting a minimal likelihood of her involvement at this juncture. Nonetheless, a total of twelve Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly have been designated as prominent campaigners.
