PM likely to attend event to mark death anniv of Mulayam’s confidante
Bharatiya Janata Party eyeing Samajwadi Party’s traditional Yadav and Sikh vote bank as part of Mission 2024, say political observers
KANPUR Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to virtually attend an event to be organised in Kanpur’s Meharban Singh ka Purwa township on July 25 to mark the 10th death anniversary of socialist leader Chowdhary Harmohan Singh Yadav, who was one of the closest confidantes of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“The PM’s office has communicated that the Prime Minister would address the gathering virtually. Earlier, the PM was expected to arrive for the death anniversary, but as the new President would assume office on July 25, his programme changed,” said Sukhram Singh Yadav, son of Harmohan Singh Yadav. Sukhram Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha as SP MP and is ex-chairman of the UP Legislative Council.
If sources are to be believed, the PM participating in an event of a family considered close to SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is a significant development. Within political circles, this is being seen as a launch of ‘Mission 2024’ with an eye on the SP’s traditional Yadav and Sikh voters.
Apart from the Yadavs, the Sikh community has been aligning with the SP as Harmohan Singh Yadav had saved many Sikh families during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. After a series of arrests in the anti-Sikh riot cases, the PM would speak on Harmohan Singh Yadav’s bravery and look to consolidate the Sikh votes in BJP’s favour, opined political pundits.
Harmohan Singh Yadav and his family lived in Kanpur’s Ratanlal Nagar with many Sikh families in the vicinity. “When the rioters targeted these families, my father along with some other family members repulsed the attack after hours of struggle. Thereafter, the Sikh community had felicitated my father. Later, the President of India honoured him with Shaurya Chakra,” said Sukhram Singh Yadav.
“Chowdhary saheb saved my life…there are many families that are alive today because of him and his bravery,” stated Kulwinder Singh Jaggi, 61, a resident of Ratanlal Nagar.
Now, the BJP looks to win over the loyalty of the Yadav Mahasabha, a body Harmohan Singh had established to bring the Yadavs into the mainstream. Of late, Harmohan Singh’s family was distancing from the SP as two of its members joined the BJP ahead of the assembly elections, stated political pundits.
