“The cycle is ours and the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav’s! Akhilesh Yadav zindabad,” read one of the many congratulatory messages circulated by ecstatic SP workers after it became known that the Chief Minister had snatched the party symbol from his father Mulayam Singh.
Bringing to an end weeks of confusion, the Election Commission’s decision in favour of the Yadav scion sent SP supporters and leaders into celebration mode, while other non-BJP political parties — the Trinamool Congress, the RJD and most importantly the Congress — were prompt in issuing congratulatory notes.
For the SP’s Akhilesh-Ramgopal faction it was vindication of its claim. “It proves that the party at the national convention under Mr. Akhilesh’s leadership is the real SP. We will win the elections. We will defeat the BJP,” SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda told The Hindu .
Hours before the EC’s decision, Mr. Mulayam Singh unleashed a scathing attack on his son, whom he accused of neglecting the interests of Muslims and hobnobbingwith the BJP indirectly through Mr. Ramgopal. It appeared that Mr. Mulayam was trying to isolate Muslims from Mr. Akhilesh, who is working on leading a grand alliance against the BJP. However, the writing was on the wall for the Yadav patriarch as moments later SP workers put up a nameplate declaring Mr. Akhilesh as the “national president,” a post enjoyed by Mr. Mulayam since the inception of the SP 25 years ago.
‘Netaji will guide us’
The Akhilesh camp downplayed Mr. Mulayam’s comments. “We have the party symbol and party. Why will he leave us? We will try to carry him along with us. Netaji will continue to be our margdarshak,” said Mr. Nanda. Mr. Akhilesh’s ownership of the party as national president and with the symbol in his hand officially, has also paved the way for the smooth pre-poll alliance deal with the Congress, which is expected to be finalised and announced within a few days.
Naturally, the EC’s decision came as a big relief to the party, as Mr. Mulayam was not keen on an alliance with it but Mr. Akhilesh was.
“We congratulate Akhilesh on being allotted the cycle symbol,” Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said, saying the EC had taken a “judicious decision” in a record time.
Mr. Nanda said all formalities of the alliance would be completed “within a week.” Senior Congress MLA Akhilesh Pratap Singh said the decision had “ended” the confusion among “secular voters”.
“If Akhilesh had got a new symbol, secular voters would have been confused and scattered, benefiting the BJP,” Mr. Singh said.
Another important ally of Mr. Akhilesh, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also took to Twitter to praise the Yadav scion. “Congratulations @yadavakhilesh for getting SP symbol. You deserve it.” RJD chief Lalu Prasad hailed the EC’s decision.
