Shades of Appeasement

The Samajwadi Party founded by socialist leader Mulayam Singh Yadav assumed many shapes in several alliances, all aimed at furthering the interests of the backward classes

- Zaina Azhar Sayeda

WITH just weeks to go for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh’s Samajwadi Party (SP) is one of the primary competitors to the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state which sends the most number of MPs (80) to the Lok Sabha. The Akhilesh Yadav-led socialist party contesting as part of the INDIA alliance will be looking to inflict maximum damage and to increase its seat tally, which has been limited to five since 2014.

“This is the election to save the Constitution and democracy. This is the election to save reservation and one’s own honour. At one point of time, samudra manthan (churning of the sea) had taken place. This is the time for samvidhaan manthan (reclaiming constitutional rights).”

—SP chief Akhilesh Yadav