The ruling Samajwadi Party is set to assign significant role to its youth leadership instead of banking on the old guards alone for the campaign to 2017 Assembly polls.
To stamp a formal approval of its campaign strategy, the party has convened a meeting of youth outfits in lucknow on July 13 and 14. The meeting of Samajwadi lohia Vahini and Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth brigade has now been scheduled for July 18 and July 21 respectively.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, also the state SP chief, will lead the campaign and is in favour of pitchforking youth leaders at the helm.
A young SP MlC said, “It was the support of the youth which catapulted the SP to a comfortable win in the 2012 polls. Under Akhilesh Yadav, the youth power has only consolidated in the party’s favour. Akhilesh will now be using the youth to lead the campaign.”
The party elders will be confined to addressing rallies and working in tandem with Mulayam Singh Yadav. The youth team including girls will be actively engaged in campaigning and will report directly to the Chief Minister.
A sources aid, “Youth leaders will fan out to villages through cycle yatras and connect with young voters, inform them of the SP regime’s achievements and distributed material pertaining to various schemes launched for the youth.”
“Young girls have benefitted the most during teh SP regime through laptop distribution schemes, Rani laxmibai awards and scholarships. The government has worked for women empowerment. The youth leaders will be accompanied by young women who will reach out to women voters in rural areas”, the source added.
Young ministers and legislators will also be roped in for the campaigning outside their constituencies. The increased involvement of the youth this time is apparently a result of the increasing chasm between the young and the old blocs in SP.
The recent controversy over the merger of Mokhtar Ansari’s party Qaumi Ekta Dal into the SP has exposed the differences between Akhilesh and the elders in SP.
A veteran SP leader opined, “Akhilesh Yadav has ably led the government. It is hence justified that he be handed over the reins of campaign and given a free hand to decide its tone and tenor. The seniors will be there to assist him.”