YADAV UNITY FACES A TEST IN BATTLEFIELD UTTAR PRADESH

BJP is keen to swell its Yadav support from 23% in 2019 to 30-35% in the coming elections, first after SP's founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's death.

- RAHUL CHHABRA

The coming parliamentary elections will be the first after the death of Samajwadi Party’s founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on 10 October 2022. While his son Akhilesh Yadav has taken on the mantle of party president, there seems to be a big chunk of supporters who are unhappy with the party’s poor electoral performance under him. This impatient section of voters which wants the community to be on the winning side and participate in governance appears to be an ideal target for BJP which has been on a spree to take Yadav leaders on board.

While picking Mohan Yadav as the chief minister of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, BJP think tank sent a strong message to members of the community in Uttar Pradesh about its eagerness to work for them. BJP is keen to swell its Yadav support from 23% in 2019 to 30-35% in the coming elections.

MP CM has visited Uttar Pradesh on three occasions since taking oath in December 2023 and during his visits he has taken pains to highlight that he has Azamgarh roots and his in-laws are based in Sultanpur. In a veiled attack on Akhilesh Yadav in early March, Mohan Yadav also hit out at the Saifai family for exploiting the Yadav community.

Political analysts say BJP’s vote share in 2019 was 49.98% (winning 62 seats) and in 2014 it was 42.63% (winning 71 seats). The party is aware of the fact that it needs to break the barrier of 50% vote share to improve its tally from the current 62. This would not be possible without biting into the Yadav vote bank.