Buoyed by success in the recent assembly bypolls and turning out to be a major gainer, the Samajwadi Party has plans to capitalise on the gains to strengthen the party organisation. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will soon start visiting all the districts in Uttar Pradesh to strengthen the party organisation for the 2022 assembly elections.
In fact, he has made the beginning from his home turf on Deepawali. Akhilesh, along with the family, was in Saifai where he visited many households, including those of his uncles.
Though Holi and Diwali are two occasions when the entire Yadav clan assembles at Saifai, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, his younger brother Shivpal Yadav, and cousin & party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav were conspicuous by their absence.
SP sources said Akhilesh’s visit sent across a clear message to the Yadavs and locals that he is the sole inheritor of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s legacy and that the family dispute is a closed chapter.
On the condition of anonymity, a senior party leader said, “We will soon declare the list of district presidents and state office-bearers. In our restructured organisation, priority will be given to young and hard-working leaders. Immediately after the organisation is revamped, party chief Akhilesh Yadav will start visiting every district to meet workers and public.”
“Crime against women is on the rise. People are already suffering due to the growing unemployment and economic slowdown. Farmers are also unhappy with the BJP government at the Centre and state. Our party chief will highlight these issues during his visit to all the districts. All party leaders will also be directed to raise these issues primarily during their interactions with the public,” the SP leader SP.
The party is also expected to begin a membership drive across the state to strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2022 polls. After the drubbing in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the SP won from Rampur, Jalalpur and Zaidpur assembly seats with 22.61 per cent of the total vote share.
The remaining eight seats went to the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati’s decision to break ties with Akhilesh Yadav for poor show in the Lok Sabha election results benefitted the SP chief. Akhilesh had earlier made it clear that his party would contest the 2022 assembly polls without forming an alliance with any party, saying he was confident of getting back to power in the state.