With all eyes on the Election Commission of India verdict over the split in the 25-year-old Samajwadi Party over its traditional election symbol of ‘cycle,’ both factions have their contingency plan ready. The Akhilesh Yadav faction want ‘motorcycle’ as symbol while Mulayam Singh supporters have approached lok Dal to allow them to use its traditional symbol of ‘farmer ploughing the filed (hal jotta kisan).
Both factions have filed petitions claiming themselves to be the real Samajwadi Party. Both are asking for ‘cycle’ as their election symbol. Mulayam Singh is camping in Delhi while his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav is holding fort on behalf of Akhilesh Yadav. Sources said that the Chief Minister could rush to Delhi anytime, if required.
The Election Commission has called both factions to appear before it at 11.30 am on Friday for hearing, after which it will pronounce its verdict on the symbol.
Sources claimed that Mulayam Singh has approached President of lok Dal Sunil Singh through Amar Singh and has shown interest in contesting polls on the traditional symbol of ‘hal jotta kisan’.
Sunil Singh had admitted that some leaders close to Mulayam Singh had approached him. “ I am interested in giving my symbol to Mulayam as he is an old follower of Charan Singh and was even elected to the Assembly for the first time on this symbol,” he said.
Singh earned the status of rightful representative of lok Dal and was authorised to use the symbol by Election Commission after a long legal battle with Charan Singh’s son Ajit Singh. The latter had to rechristian his party as Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) with the election symbol of ‘handpump’.
Onthe other hand, the Akhilesh camp does not look that perturbed any more and are not ready to lose their sleep over this. They have made up their mind to settle for ‘motorcycle’ – the free symbol available with Election Commission as the new election symbol of their outfit. “We want ‘cycle’ as the election symbol. By any chance if we are unable to get it, then we will opt for ‘motorcycle’ as it will help us tell voters about our progress from cycle to motorcycle,” a senior SP (Akhilesh group) leader said.
“We know there can be some problem in getting cycle as election symbol and the EC can freeze this traditional symbol. We have done our homework. We are told that ‘motorcycle’ is free and available,” the senior SP leader said.
The blue print of the campaign has already been prepared which revolves around progress from Rs cycle’ to ‘motorcycle’. “Is it not routine in every household IJ We start with cycle and then switch over to motorcycle when we progress in life,” he said.
So how to convey to voters – a good section of them illiterate – about the change in symbol of Samajwadi Party IJ Here too, the Akhilesh camp has its plan ready.
“We have human and technological reach in 98 per cent households in UP. In a few days, every SP voter will come to know about the new symbol,” he said.