Why the rivals are watching Akhilesh...

Because the poll prospects of the three other players will be determined by the outcome of the SP’s internal feud

...if Akhilesh gains absolute control of SP Will be under pressure to announce a CM face to counter Akhilesh, who is popular among youth. Apart from its core support of upper castes, which is 16 per cent of the total population, the BJP is also eyeing the OBCs, especially Kurmis, who make up 7.5 per cent of the backward population. Akhilesh has already installed a Kurmi as state SP president Muslims, who comprise 19.3 per cent of the total population, will tilt towards SP, derailing Mayawati’s dream of winning on the strength of a Dalit-Muslim combination Akhilesh favours an alliance with Congress as both parties stand to gain. Muslims will stand behind the alliance while Congress is hoping to cause a dent in the BSP’s Dalit support ...if the SP splits Will hope to cut into SP’s core support of backward votes, who are 44 per cent of the total population. It could lead to a bilateral fight with the upper castes and a section of the OBCs siding with the BJP, and the Muslims and Dalits backing BSP Will emerge as a formidable rival to the BJP with Muslim support and its core vote bank of Dalits, who constitute 21 per cent of the population Even if it forms an alliance with the Akhilesh faction of the SP, the Muslims are unlikely to back them. With the possibility of a win diminishing, even the Dalits are unlikely to extend support