Re-elected president of the Samajwadi Party for the ninth time running at the ninth national convention of the party here, Mulayam Singh on Wednesday underlined the importance of having a grassroots connect with the people even as he laid down the agenda for the future.
Mr. Singh was re-elected president for a fresh term of three years, but in his address to the delegates, the Samajwadi Party chief hinted at the passing of the baton to the next generation. “After some time, power will pass in the hands of the youth,” Mr. Singh said laying stress on mass contact.
Unfazed by Opposition criticism that the five seats the Samajwadi Party won in the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh were by members of his family, Mr. Singh said that, on the contrary, the people had reaffirmed faith in the family for taking the party forward. “People have faith in the family and patronage will be given,” he told the audience at Janeshwar Mishra Park.
Sharing the dais with Mr. Singh and other Samajwadi leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Mohammad Azam Khan, was Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav. Mr. Sharad Yadav was a special invitee at the national convention, but his presence clearly pointed towards a possible realignment of political forces in the “Hindi heartland” for meeting the challenge presented by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The two leaders are likely to share the dais again at the Rashtriya Lok Dal rally in Meerut on October 12.
In his 45 minutes long presidential address, Mr. Singh, while emphasizing on the importance of “people’s power”, cautioned the Ministers, MLAs, MPs and party workers that if a government can be formed by the “janata”, the people “also had the power to oust the government”. Mr. Singh repeatedly stressed on the importance of Lucknow as the venue for the national convention. “Lucknow is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and communal amity, the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb started from Lucknow”, the SP chief added. Mr. Singh’s unanimous election was announced by national general secretary and returning officer Ram Gopal Yadav.
