By S Simhadri
The historic victory with largest vote share to the winning SP/INDIA Alliance in Ghosi by-election provides direction to the national hope for 2024 elections. The INDIA Alliance headed by Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has defeated the ‘undefeatable’ BJP. Akhilesh aligning with pro Bharat Jodo campaign has changed the entire perception of the double engine sarkar. His strategy of development and social inclusion has emerged as an answer to the national crisis created by BJP’s misrule. It in fact created a narrative and confidence among the democrats that the opposition could come together to defeat the “undemocratic and communal BJP.”
The recently held by-election in seven Assembly constituencies across the country has given a verdict in favour of the INDIA alliance winning four out of seven constituencies. In Uttarakhand Congress has lost with a small margin and in Tripura it is alleged that the BJP has resorted to rigging in two constituencies. However, Congress won in Kerala, TMC in West Bengal, and JMM in Jharkhand besides SP in Ghosi in UP. In UP and Jharkhand there was a straight fight between INDIA versus NDA and INDIA alliance has swept the polls. But in West Bengal and Kerala INDIA alliance partners fought among themselves. The results have given plenty of hope among the people fighting hatred against Muslims and fattening the corporates by assigning national PSUs to one or the other. NDA rule has robbed the common man and filled the pockets of the corporate. Unemployment and Price Rise have become national problems in the BJP rule.
When the nation was heading for elections the union government tried to divert the people from their problems by making campaigns around Bharat vs India and Sanatan Dharm polarising people. It also made G20 as its major achievement. Otherwise, it’s a routine engagement that happens on the global platform. In spite of all that people gave a fitting answer to the ruling BJP by electing the INDIA alliance.
Ghosi has given a clearer answer to all the confusion created by the BJP. Firstly, it is now clear that national parties can come together and fight elections. Secondly while exposing the anti-poor policies of the government, the INDIA alliance has firmly stood against socially divisive hate campaign to promote secular and democratic values that have been enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution. To address the increasing social and economic inequalities the alliance pledged to promote development and social inclusion. Basically, it is to promote fraternity or brotherhood among castes and communities to build an inclusive nation.
Besides, Ghosi Assembly by-polls for four more Zilla Panchayat elections took place across the districts in UP and Samajwadi Party has won all four along with the Assembly segment. The results surprised many, particularly political analysts who always spoke highly of BJP and its double engine sarkar, undermining the struggles of the Samajwadi Party, in spite of all odds facing the Bahubali government in UP. In fact Samajwadi Party has won the Katauli Assembly seat and Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency in the by-election in the last six months. The party performed fairly well in the Nagar Palika and Nagar Panchayat elections. Political analysts have been misled in their perception because of media propaganda and bulldozer led politics.
The Ghosi by-election has changed the political perception and accept the fact that Akhilesh Yadav can lead INDIA alliance particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
What is the reason for the change of perception of the nation is an answer one has to explore, though it was spelled out partly through elections. In fact Akhilesh’s strategy of forging backwards and the most backwards began much before the 2022 Assembly elections. Several leaders and social groups have been pursued to forge a strong social base to fight communal politics. It has yielded results partially in the elections. But the process continued not only organisationally making it inclusive but also ideologically. He kept on campaigning that the Samajwadi party believed in the ideology of not only Dr Rammanohar Lohia but also Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. He created Ambedkar Vahini to make party penetrating into Dalit wadas. He also associated with Kashiram and promoted his followers in a big way.
Akhilesh has attended and exposed every attack that took place against women, Dalits, and OBCs besides questioning the BJP hatred against Muslims, day in and day out. The ultimate strategy of Pichda, Dalit and Alpasankyak- Muslims (PDA) has politicised the minds of the discriminated and oppressed and it has become a potent cultural force against BJP’s political Hindutva.
Akhilesh Yadav has also campaigned for Caste Census which has been a demand since 1951 and it has become a big issue among OBCs at the national level. Simultaneously he has been fighting against the privatisation of PSUs as it was giving rise to the elimination of lakhs of job opportunities for SCs, STs, and OBCs (including Muslim minorities). Agniveer has also disturbed the youth from social justice forces and he continued to highlight the injustices.
While talking about development, he spoke emphatically about his vision and practice and reeled out the development he made with facts and figures. In fact, he thoroughly exposed the BJP government in UP as they lack development vision. He used his position as Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and communicated to people how BJP is incapable of development thinking but all the while relied on propaganda and musclemen politics.
His vision of computer education in modernising the school-going youth; making girls more mobile by way of bicycle, Dial 100 to provide better law and order, Samajwadi pension, and concern for farmers, small businesses, etc. have made him the development administrator. His approach of khushali and positive politics makes him the leader of mass liking from all segments of the society.
Ideologically speaking he tackled the Shudra debate very effectively to counter caste abuse and stood for the dignity of the poor and the backward. The election result showed that all segments of society voted for him including Savarna, Dalit, most backward, Muslim, and women.
This shows that Akhilesh Yadav imbibes the values of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion and therefore he can be the face of the INDIA alliance and hope of the nation and also take everyone along with him in building the constitutional nation.
The alliance is strengthened because of diverse linguistic spaces producing unity in diversity. The initiative to form an alliance started with the Patna meet followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai. BJP never thought of opposition coming together. Now it is disturbed to see them as part of INDIA alliance. The Ghosi by poll result has furthered disturbed BJP and we have to see how they use the power to disturb the alliance. BJP has been using power and bulldozing the autonomy of the constitutional bodies and using against the leaders of various parties of the alliance.
Ghosi showed the path of hope of regaining the power to redeem democracy and secular values that have been the founding principles of the Constitution in building the Indian Nation.
S Simhadri, a former professor at Osmania University, is the President of the Samajwadi Party in Telangana State.
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