Did SP make a mistake in donation theft case, will PDA formula overshadow ‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’?

The role of regional parties has always been important in Indian politics and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is a great example of this. This party, which came from the background of Lohiaism and social justice, ruled the state four times. But in almost a decade, there has been a huge decline in the political graph of this party. Today SP is standing at a crossroads, where it wants to bring the hardcore voters of BJP into its fold without shying away from Muslim appeasement. But the result of this lack of clarity is that the gap of distrust towards it seems to be deepening.

The biggest recent mistake of the Samajwadi Party is its hasty action on the Ayodhya offering issue. The party directly targeted the UP government and BJP without worrying about the consequences, whereas the fact is that Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is an autonomous body, whose central or Uttar Pradesh Government Or nothing to do with BJP. SP, which was wandering in search of an issue against the Yogi government, in its excitement also forgot that its statements were hurting Ayodhya Dham, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and Sanatani faith.

Attempt to woo Sanatani voters

The biggest difficulty facing SP on the way to 2027 is that it wants to woo Sanatani voters in view of the crushing defeat in the last two assembly elections, but does not want to step back from Muslim appeasement. This is the reason why despite several challenges from Yogi Adityanath, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is silent on the issue of Shri Krishna’s birthplace. He does not want to anger Muslim voters by speaking in its favor. He is also not able to give any answer to the allegations regarding the issue of land in the name of Waqf properties during the SP rule. The main reason for this is probably that he still sticks to the formula of his father SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

MY equation was once an infallible formula

​During the era of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Muslim and Yadav (MY) equation was considered a surefire formula for SP’s victory. But over time, this equation gave the message to a large section of the majority society that the party was working only for the interests of a particular community. From ticket distribution to appointments to administrative posts, preference was given to a particular section of the society, giving rise to a feeling among Dalits, non-Yadav OBCs and general category Hindu voters that their interests were being ignored. The role of the then government during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and subsequent developments further strengthened the perception that the party was one-sided. She was not sensitive to the religious and cultural sentiments of the majority society.

The stain of firing incident on kar sevaks

The incident of firing on Kar Sevaks going to Ayodhya in 1990 is still a thorn in the side of SP. The party described it as a step to maintain law and order, but it got stuck in the public mind as an ‘anti-Hindu’ act. When cultural nationalism and religious identity emerged in the politics of Uttar Pradesh, SP appeared hesitant in taking a clear stand on issues like Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura. A large section of the majority population saw this hesitation as an affront to their religious pride. This message was further deepened by the political protection given to a particular class of criminals during the SP governments. This was the reason why in the 2017 and subsequent elections, the public voted in favor of strict law and order and against appeasement. ​

‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’ cut off

BJP countered SP’s ‘Muslim appeasement’ strategy with the larger discourse of ‘Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas’ and ‘Hindu unity’. In this it was supported by non-Yadav backward castes (like Maurya, Kurmi, Saini) and non-Jatav Dalits, who were increasingly feeling that only one family and a particular community benefited under SP rule. In the changing times of Indian politics, where the majority society has become more vocal about its religious and cultural identity, the old formulas of ‘appeasement’ have become irrelevant.

Samajwadi Party has failed to remove the label of being “anti-Hindu” and “pro-Muslim”. However, in recent times, the party leadership has tried to change this image by giving a new slogan of ‘PDA’ (Backward, Dalit, Minority) and following the path of soft-Hindutva. But history and public memory do not change so quickly. The tree of selfishness and narrow-mindedness does not bear sweet fruits. (These are the personal views of the author.)