SP registers victory in bypolls; Mulayam’s acumen plays a major role

Akhilesh was, however, not so confident Monday night when he had posted on his Facebook wall that “whatever be the outcome, it will be a lesson for 2017”.

All through the campaign, Akhilesh took the backseat as Mulayam assumed complete charge.

The veteran leader knew the anti-incumbency was running high with the state government facing flak from all quarters over the poor law and order situation, power crisis and no flagship scheme worth its name.

The party was in a straight contest against the BJP — a party brimming with confidence after its grand victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

While the new agenda of ‘love jihad’ was in air, the absence of Bahujan Samaj Party from the poll scene was working to the BJP’s advantage with the Dalit vote moving towards the saffron party due to the known animosity of Mulayam with their leader Mayawati.

Mulayam’s prestige was also at stake in his fiefdom, Mainpuri, after having lost badly in the Lok Sabha polls. “These bypolls will give us strength in Delhi. We will defend our agenda more vigorously after winning them,” Mulayam had stated.

Mulayam’s first step was to shed the pro-Muslim tag that is said to have cost him dearly in earlier polls. Only one Muslim was fielded, from Thakurdwara, while other seats where Muslims were in good numbers had non-Muslim candidates. SP’s Muslim face Azam Khan was sidelined unlike earlier where he was a constant fixture in SP’s election meetings. The idea was to keep the elections from getting polarised on communal lines.

Then began the process of choosing the candidates.

Mulayam took feedback from his own sources and changed the candidate from Balha on the last day of nomination. Bansidhar Baudh was imported from BSP, resulting in the cancellation of senior SP leader Shabbir Balmiki’s nomination. Baudh brought with him BSP’s cadre vote and won the seat by a margin of 25181 votes.

Mulayam also did not hesitate to field a Dalit (Vachaspati Pasi) from Sirathu, a general seat, and won it by 24,522 votes.

As many as 23 ministers of Akhilesh were dispatched to Assembly segments with specific responsibilities. Hundreds of other party leaders were also assigned duties.

Mulayam convened four meetings of ministers and warned them to “perform or perish”. Akhilesh, though part of the meetings, did not interfere.

Mulayam took his brother Shivpal Yadav along for meetings in Saharanpur, Bijnor, Nighasan and other places. Shivpal galvanised SP workers who have always been more attached to him.

Mulayam did well to divide BSP’s votes. Outlining the government’s development works, the ministers told the Dalits that the SP still has over two years left at the helm.

Akhilesh returned from the Netherlands when elections were close and held two meetings in Mainpuri, and claimed the victory as an approval of the “development” works done by his government.