The ruling Samajwadi Party is set to take up the precarious task of deciding candidates for those seats that it had won on 2012 Assembly polls. The party has already announced candidates for most of the seats it had lost in the 2012 Assembly polls.
However, the party is in no hurry to announce the candidature for these seats and many take a couple of months to finalise the list.
The ruling party is confident of fighting anti-incumbency as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav enjoys a clean and non- controversial image. The anti-incumbency factor may come into play due to inaction of party MlAs and ministers and their involvement in dubious acts.
Party sources said that the public condemnation of illegal activities like land grabbing by SP leaders by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has helped to tide over the situation but a lot still needs to be done.
In Juy, the SP chief had despatched 2 MlCs each for 18 administrative divisions for survey the electoral prospects of the party in each Assembly segent. The survey included the study of the prospects in the seats won and lost by the party in 2012 Assembly polls.
A senior SP leader said that all 18 teams have submitted their reports to the party chief and now it’s for the party brass to take a call. The leader said that the teams have recommended denial of tickets to at least 55 sitting MlAs as this is the most potent weapon to fight against anti-incumbency.
Apprehending denial of tickets, several SP MlAs have adopted rebellious postures and mounting pressure on the party brass in this connection. The SP has already expelled five MlAs including Navazish Alam from Muzaffarnagar, Shyam Prakash (Hardoi) Guddu Pandit and Mukesh Sharma (Bulandshahr) and Rampal Yadav (Sitapur). Alam has joined the BSP while Shyam Prakash has joined the BJP.
SP sources said that many party MlAs are in touch with other parties and in case they are denied tickets they might switch loyalties. Sources confirmed that the leadership has compiled a list of MlAs with doubtful loyalty. It has also worked out a damage control exercise if they rebel on being denied tickets.
The party has already announced over 150 candidates for the seats it had lost in 2012 and the candidates for the remaining dozen seats are expected to be announced any day in September. Candidates for several seats are likely to be changed that has already been announced.
Afterthe conclusion of monsoon session of the Assembly, the ruling party is now in an election mode and its only agenda is the preparations for the 2017 elections.The party has drawn up plans of a Vikas Rath Yatra by CM Akhilesh Yadav and launching of the poll campaign by party chief Mulayam Singh from Azamgarh from October 7.