Massive infighting and satteka nasha (lust for power) among Samajwadi Party leaders at the district level has caused consternation in the leadership.
At a time when the chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has been preparing for assembly elections, reports of discontent among the workers and tussle among the senior leaders, including ministers, has made the task difficult.
It was for this reason Yadav repeatedly asked party workers at last week rally in Lucknow that they should abide by the parliamentary board’s decision about the selection of the candidates.
With adverse reports about large number of sitting MLAs the possibility of new contestants could not be ruled out.
The SP is in desperate search of only winnable candidates. Some fence-sitters in the SP are already exploring possibilities in other parties.
There is a growing feeling in the party that instead of repeating the MLAs, who have turned into an embarrassment for party leadership during the last three years, new faces should be fielded to ward off anti-incumbency.
It is learnt that chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is unhappy with several ministers, whose opulent style of living had affected the party’s image. The chief minister had repeatedly reprimanded the ministers for wallowing in sattaka sukh (pleasure of power) at the cost of the party.
Yadav has once again laid stress on strengthening of organization of shunning of infighting before the elections. After three years in power, "the party has lost sheen and fighting spirit," said a senior SP leader.
The leadership is flooded with complaints against district leaders. The party leadership has also fallen back on youth wings to come back to power. The issue came up at the rally on November 25. Yadav directed the youth workers to pull up socks for the assembly election.
Of late, the Chief Minister has been regularly chiding the leaders for serving their own interest at the cost of party. The party had issued instructions to the district units to move out among the people to popularise the government’s achievements and also solve their problems.
However so far there had been no satisfactory response from them. With utter apathy prevailing among the senior district leaders including MLAs the party had now fallen back on frontal organizations to gear up for the assembly elections.
Of late, the Chief Minister has been regularly chiding the leaders for serving their own interest at the cost of party. The party had issued instructions to the district units to move out among the people to popularise the government’s achievements and also solve their problems.
However so far there had been no satisfactory response from them. With utter apathy prevailing among the senior district leaders including MLAs the party had now fallen back on frontal organizations to gear up for the assembly elections.
Email Masoodul Hasan: mhasan@hindustantimes.com