SP grapples with break-up and bitterness, caught in quagmire
RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary announced embracing the BJP-led NDA alliance and quitting the partnership with SP. The day after, Swami Prasad Maurya pricked Akhilesh Yadav by resigning from the party’s national general secretary’s post
LUCKNOW The Samajwadi Party (SP) seems to be in a quagmire vis-a-vis its alliances in Uttar Pradesh. While the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has “announced a break-up”, Apna Dal (K) is expressing anger over the SP’s picks for Rajya Sabha and SP general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya has resigned from the post.
Apparently under pressure, party chief Akhilesh Yadav attempted to take a high road over the alliance partners, saying: “A man must not betray himself.”
On Monday, after weeklong fast-paced behind-the-scenes developments, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary announced embracing the BJP-led NDA alliance and quitting the long-standing partnership with the SP. The day after, the relatively new import in the SP, Swami Prasad Maurya pricked Akhilesh Yadav by resigning from the party’s national general secretary’s post - directly and indirectly holding Akhilesh responsible for his decision.
Also, the same day, SP ally Apna Dal (K) leader Pallavi Patel caused a flutter in UP political circles, saying that she would abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha elections as there was a “dhokha” (betrayal)’ by SP in candidates’ selection for the polls. She termed the nomination of former UP chief secretary Alok Ranjan and actor-politician Jaya Bachchan “against the spirit of SP’s PDA.” Patel had contested the Sirathu (Kaushambi) seat on the SP ticket and won.
“We are talking of PDA. Ranjan and Bachchan are not among the PDA. I am not going to cast my votes against this ‘dhokha’ (deceit),” Patel told reporters on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Such times do come in politics...we are witnessing one of such times...there is no deceit from our side. A man must not betray himself,” Akhilesh Yadav told mediapersons in Etawah on Wednesday.
Responding to the Swami Prasad Maurya issue, he said: “This is the party’s internal matter, and we will sort it out.” Yadav’s comment came shortly after Maurya, in a press conference in Lucknow, repeated most of what he wrote in the resignation letter on Tuesday, adding: “Now, the ball is in the national president’s (Akhilesh Yadav) court. Whatever he decides...my course will be decided by the course he takes.”
Maurya said: “Even the most seasoned party leaders are with me...only a handful of leaders are against me. These small-time leaders make some comments whenever I speak. I spoke to the party chief and requested him to reign in such leaders or let me take steps that I wish. If he (Akhilesh) can’t control, then I obviously can’t ask for the expulsion of those leaders and instead it would be better for me to decide about myself.”
Maurya resigned on Tuesday, saying that as the party’s general secretary, he was being undermined and not treated on par with the other national general secretaries. He had said most of the comments he made were dubbed by party leaders as “comments made in his (Maurya’s) personal capacity” - that is the party disassociates with his statements.
Maurya had been making controversial comments on Hindu texts, traditions, and religion. Shortly before Akhilesh’s comment, a senior party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary came to Maurya’s aid and attempted to mediate between him and Akhilesh over the resignation. Through a letter, Chaudhary asked Akhilesh not to accept the resignation. In the letter, Chaudhary also praised Maurya over his struggle and agenda related to backwards, Dalits, and oppressed sections of the society and said Maurya was an important leader of backward sections.
Besides Ramji Lal Suman, a Dalit, the SP has fielded Bollywood actor Jaya Bachchan and retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan for the Rajya Sabha polls.
The elections for 10 UP Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled to be held on February 27.
