Shivpal Yadav’s revolt against Akhilesh and Samajwadi Party is first jolt to formation of ‘mahagathbandhan’
Even before the much talked-about 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) could be formed in Uttar Pradesh, the bugle of revolt sounded by top Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav has come as a big jolt to the proposed united opposition front, which is expected to take on the might of the ruling (BJP.
Shivpal Yadav , who remained a force to reckon with in the Samajwadi Party, openly expressed his anguish against his nephew and party president Akhilesh Yadav , who systematically undermined the status of his uncle in the party hierarchy, ever since he usurped the party from his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"I have been sidelined and subjected to humiliation over the past one-and-a-half year or so and things do not seem to be improving . Hence, I took the decision to form my own Samajwadi Secular Front," Shivpal told mediapersons here on Wednesday, August 29.
He said, "It's not just me, but many other veterans who feel equally sidelined and neglected in the party, which they have built with their sweat and blood."
Asked how his elder brother Mulayam has taken to his decision, Shivpal said, “I have his blessings.”
Even as he refrained from taking names, it was clearly evident from his talks that Shivpal’s main grouse was against Akhilesh, with whom his differences arose right from the time Akhilesh was made the chief minister in 2012. Shivpal’s claim to chief ministership was denied by Mulayam, who chose to anoint his son instead of the brother who had been his closest lieutenant.
Shivpal did agree to function as the number two in Akhilesh cabinet, where he held multiple portfolios, but he could never get over the fact that he had been denied his rightful claim.
There could be no denying that Amar Singh too had some role behind Shivpal’s revolt.
Barely 24 hours before Shivpal’s announcement today, Amar Singh had told a press conference in Lucknow that he had spoken to a top BJP leader regarding “adjustment” of Shivpal in the saffron party.
"But Shivpal backed out at the last minute," Singh claimed.
It was common knowledge that Shivpal was instrumental in pushing for re-entry of Amar Singh into the Samajwadi Party well before the 2017 state Assembly elections.
Mulayam, who always had a soft corner for Amar Singh, was also agreeable. But Akhilesh put his foot down because he suspected that Singh was working on a plan to get him ousted and get uncle Shivpal installed in his place.
This led to more bad blood between Akhillesh and Shivpal. As such, Amar Singh too was out to avenge the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Akhilesh, who actually put an otherwise dominant and overbearing Amar Singh in his place.
Akhilesh chose to have his father’s cousin and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on his side and it was this uncle who masterminded all strategies to combat the machinations of Shivpal-Amar Singh combine. Ram Gopal also had his old scores to settle with both Shivpal and Amar Singh, who virtually used to call the shots in the party for many years.
After the humiliating defeat of the SP in 2017, it was hoped that the Yadav family would realise how their inner differences had devastated the party. For some time, it seemed that a rapprochement was in the offing. However, eventually Shivpal realised that his nephew was not ready to make any room for him at an appropriate level in the party.
With a wily Amar Singh to guide him, Shivpal chose to strike at a time when the iron was really hot. After all, his revolt at a juncture when the talks for a grand alliance were at an advanced stage was bound to weaken the very foundations of the alliance.
A weakened SP on account of the visible cracks, may not really be able to give the BJP a run for its money.
It was the SP-BSP alliance that led to BJP’s humiliating defeat in by-elections for two major Lok Sabha seats in UP and one state Assembly constituency in 2018 itself.
Significantly, these included the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat held for five successive terms by none other than the saffron-clad UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who always considered the constituency as his impregnable bastion for the simple reason that he heads the Gorakhnath ‘mutt’ there.
With the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal also pitching in, the SP-BSP alliance is expected to become even more formidable for the BJP during the crucial battle of the ballot in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political destiny would be decided once again.