SP family saga: Scripting a downfall

The serial political drama unfolding in Lucknow has many elements of sensation and some less-ons for similarly placed characters in other plays elsewhere.

The convulsions in the Samajwadi Party are basically the public expression of a family feud with state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on one side and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother on the other, with other members of the family aligning themselves on one or the other side. Personal ambition, disgruntlement and rebellion, which have transformed into issues at political and official levels, lie at the core of the drama. There is no ideological issue involved in it. But, as the drama has developed, it has shown some differences in the political approaches and styles of the two sides. This is relevant because the Samaj-wadi Party is the ruling party in UP and will soon be in the electoral fray for another term in office.

When a truce was called in the party after dissensions erupted a fortnight ago, it was not expected to last long. In fact, these differences had started five years ago when Mulayam Singh chose his son as the chief minister, overlooking the claim of his brother who thought he should get the job. They have grown since then. Both sides want to control the party now because that would give control over the affairs after the election. But after the recent explosion with all the expulsions, counter-expulsions, exchange of charges and competitive displays of strength, it may not matter who is at the helm of the party. Even if the Samajwadi Party does not formally split, it has been badly weakened and it is impossible to imagine it coming back to power. What may have to be seen is how the hard beating to be taken by the party, in one piece or two pieces, will impact the fortunes of the other players.

The party has a constituency of OBCs, mainly Yadavs, and Muslims and how it will react to the infighting will decide the outcome of the Assembly elections due in the next few months. The Samajwadi Party, which had a Lohiaite legacy and Mandal politics for ideology, came into its own with a fight against the BJP’s Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the 1990s. However, it became a vehicle of caste and minority politics and degenerated into a family outfit with some of the most retrograde social ideas. Akhilesh Yadav has lately tried to do an image makeover and shift the focus of the party and his government to development. The UP politics needs such a shift but he has tried to do it too late, after succumbing to the old guard for too long.