SP opts for soft Hindutva as Akhilesh Yadav begins preparations for 2024 polls from Naimisharanya

Samajwadi Party is striving to regain its foothold & mount formidable challenge to BJP’s supremacy

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced its strategic move to commence the preparations for the upcoming 2024 elections from Naimisharanya Dham, throwing a hint that Akhilesh Yadav is now ready to pedal soft Hindutva.

Over the past week, party leader Akhilesh Yadav has been actively engaging with party workers and has decided to organise a two-day worker training camp from June 9 at Naimisharanya.

Political experts believe that the SP has formulated a plan to incorporate a strategy of soft

Hindutva politics alongside the BJP’s hard Hindutva agenda, particularly evident in their focus on Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura.

Considering the Samajwadi Party’s recent electoral setbacks, including defeats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 2017 assembly elections, and the 2022 municipal elections, the party is striving to regain its foothold and mount a formidable challenge to the BJP’s supremacy. “The choice of Naimisharanya as the launchpad for the Samajwadi Party’s campaign holds symbolic significance. According to the Puranas, Naimisharanya derives its name from the swiftness with which demons were vanquished by the divine. The SP sees this as an opportune moment to begin their efforts to challenge the BJP’s dominance,” a former MLA said.

Approximately 5,000 individuals, including 3,000 booth committee members, are expected to participate in the program, while senior party leaders have been requested to be present throughout the two-day event. Political experts suggest that this decision stems from the SP’s intent to appease the Brahmin voters, in addition to their traditional support base of Yadavs, Muslims, and Dalits. Swami Prasad Maurya’s past comments on Ramcharitmanas are believed to have caused a rift between the SP and a section of the electorate, necessitating a fresh approach to regain their trust.

Akhilesh has instructed party spokespersons to exercise caution in religious matters and refrain from making statements that could cause offense. He has further prohibited party leaders from discussing religious topics on social media platforms. The training camp would focus on imparting effective election-winning strategies to party workers including booth management, voter list verification, and mobilisation strategies.

Akhilesh Yadav had kickstarted his 2022 assembly elections from Chitrakoot.

Insiders in the party interpret the Samajwadi Party’s decision to commence training on 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh as a crucial move. The party is reportedly preparing its youth members to contest elections on approximately 30 to 40 seats.

Insiders claim SP is attempting to unite Lohiaites and Ambedkarites, aiming to present itself as an alternative to the BJP. The party is actively working to establish a connection with Dalits and OBCs, emphasizing their commitment to these marginalised communities.