India's former Uttar Pradesh State Chief and Samajwadi Party leader, Akhilesh Yadav, has declared he will not contest in polls likely to be held between March-April in 2022.
The announcement came at a time when his party is geared up to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Yadav is traveling across the state to connect with people and highlight the failures of the Yogi government. He is also meeting politicians of other parties in a bid to form an alliance so as to collectively defeat the BJP.
But Yadav's announcement that he would not contest the polls created confusion about who will now be the Samajwadi Party's main candidate for the post of State Chief.
The Uttar Pradesh state elections are crucial, as the results might have a major impact on India's 2024 general elections. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will compete with the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress.
Sputnik reached out to political expert Desh Ratan Nigam to understand how his decision to not contest the crucial state polls may have an impact in the upcoming elections. Excerpts:
Sputnik: How significant would be Akhilesh Yadav's decision to personally not contest the state polls?
Desh Ratan Nigam: Akhilesh Yadav’s decision not to contest the state assembly elections can be seen in terms of two aspects. First, he is a member of parliament as of now and if he wins the state assembly election then he has to resign from the parliament.
This will be a very difficult situation for him because, after his resignation, his seat might go to the BJP in the by-polls. So he might be concerned about it.
Second, it is another way of running away from responsibility. Suppose the Samajwadi Party (SP) doesn’t perform well in the Uttar Pradesh elections, he can easily say that it is the issue of the party. A lot of other parties like Congress are also doing the same. You have all the power but no accountability (through the use of this method).
Sputnik: In the absence of Akhilesh Yadav, who could be another candidate for the post of State Chief from Samajwadi Party (SP), the main opposition party?
Desh Ratan Nigam: This is a very clever move because if SP wins the state assembly elections then Akhilesh Yadav will come back as the state chief and somebody will resign for him. He will have to contest an election within six months and it won’t be difficult for a sitting state chief to win a by-poll.
Sputnik: Can such an announcement impact the Samajwadi Party's poll preparations?
Desh Ratan Nigam: Definitely, because if the main leader of the party shows that he is not taking accountability then I have doubts that the cadre will be motivated. Any leader must lead from the front.
Sputnik: Do you think other parties like Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) or Trinamool Congress (TMC) that are eyeing coalition with the SP, may have second thoughts? Can anyone else be projected as the state chief?
Desh Ratan Nigam: I really doubt that someone other than Akhilesh Yadav will become a state chief if Samajwadi Party and coalition wins. Political leaders like Shivpal Yadav are like unknown commodities. The vote bank (voters), which these leaders had, has already fragmented. If you see the results of the previous state assembly elections, the BJP won because all the communities voted for it.
Sputnik: Is there a possibility that Akhilesh's announcement just ahead of the elections may be counter-productive and benefit his arch-rival BJP, the state's ruling party?
Desh Ratan Nigam: Primarily, it should. But it also depends on the BJP's strategy. The BJP has performed well under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath in the state. The (COVID-19) pandemic situation, especially the second wave, was tackled well. Employment has been generated and, most importantly, the law and order situation has improved drastically.