Uttar Pradesh polls 2017: In eastern UP, father’s loyalists are Akhilesh’s most formidable rivals

Mulayam has held rallies only for his brother Shivpal and daughter-in-law Aparna. On Tuesday, Akhilesh had addressed seven rallies in Azamgarh. Dimple was in the district on Thursday.

Mayawati, who has fielded 100 Muslim candidates this election, has inducted jailed gangster-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari and his family members into the BSP.

Earlier, Akhilesh had blocked the entry of Ansari brothers to his party though his father and uncle Shivpal had vehemently supported QED’s merger with SP. The two had also addressed a rally in Ghazipur — a QED stronghold — in November last year. But this was before Akhilesh took over the reigns of the party after a bitter feud with Mulayam and Shivpal.

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Mukhtar’s elder brother and former MP Afzal is now campaigning for the BSP, vowing to finish SP in the region. “Mulayam Singh gave respect to Muslims and won the hearts of people to become a leader. Akhilesh is just arrogant,” he says. In Mau, the SP is under pressure to retain its two seats — Ghosi and Mohammadabad Gohna.

In Ghazipur district, Akhilesh has denied tickets to three sitting MLAs, including former ministers Shadab Fatima and Vijay Kumar Mishra, who were part of Mulayam’s November rally in Ghazipur. The two were also seen as siding with Mulayam during the tussle over control of SP. While Fatima, Zahoorabad MLA, has kept mum, Mishra, the Ghazipur MLA, has joined BSP and campaigning for its candidates.

In Ballia, where SP had won five of seven seats in 2012, it is facing two rebel former ministers. Narad Rai has joined BSP and is its candidate from Ballia Sadar. Ambika Chaudhary, MLC, an ex-minister and long-time associate of Mulayam, has also joined BSP and is contesting from Phephana.

On Thursday, Akhilesh addressed six rallies in Ballia. In Phephana, he targeted Chaudhary, saying he had made a mistake by nominating him as an MLC and minister, who was “taught a lesson” by the people of Phephana in the 2012 polls.

In an apparent reference to Rai and Chaudhary, the CM said: “Some people are worried about Netaji’s samman (respect) and talk about Netaji in their speeches. These people who talk about Netaji’s respect hatched a conspiracy against the party. He used to sit here on a chair but there, my bua, will make him sit on the ground.”

Chaudhary said Akhilesh’s attack on him was “unbecoming of a CM and showed his frustration”. “SP is no more what it used to be. It has lost its fight for social justice. It is now merely a party of lumpen elements who have surrounded the CM. I was not made an MLC or minister by the CM but by Netaji,” he added.

In Jaunpur, where the SP had won seven of nine seats in 2012 — up from just three out of 10 in 2007 — SP has denied ticket to one MLA. Two seats have been given to the Congress. In Varanasi, the party is contesting only two seats, having given six to Congress.