With the caste factor, regional needs and youth element likely to play a decisive role in the 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party has taken into account all these while naming its State executive committee.
The 98-member executive announced by party president Mulayam Singh has been packed with youth leaders drawn from different castes considered close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav — a clear indication of what the party’s focus would be in 2017.
Caste had played a negligible role in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party run away with the honours by consolidating the Hindu vote. The Samajwadi Party ended with just five seats. But the scenario is unlikely to remain the same in the 2017 Assembly polls. SP sources said there is a strong view in the party that the caste factor will play a crucial role in 2017.
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While the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has been reappointed the president of the State unit of the party, Naresh Kumar Uttam, a Kurmi OBC, has been named the vice-president. Minister of State for Rural Development, Arvind Singh “Gope”, a Thakur, has been named for the crucial post of general secretary. A Mulayam loyalist who is known for his proactive approach, Mr. Gope replaces Tourism Minister Om Prakash Singh, also a Thakur, as the party general secretary. Raj Kishore Mishra, a Brahmin, is the treasurer and Political Pension Minister Rajendra Chaudhary, a Jat, continues as the spokesman. S.R.S Yadav is the secretary.
Names of 22 secretaries and 47 members were announced on Sunday night. Youth leaders considered close to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister who have been accommodated as secretaries in the committee are Minister of State, Rajpal Kashyap and Naeemul Hasan. Anand Singh Bhadauria, Nafees Ahmed, Sunil Singh, Nirbhay Singh Patel and Amitabh Bajpai are some of the other names in the Samajwadi Party’s youth brigade, who have been handpicked by Mr. Akhilesh Yadav.
In the committee, an attempt has also been made to address the caste-specific regional aspirations. For instance, Nirbhay Singh Patel, who comes from the Kurmi-dominated Chitrakoot in the Bundelkhand region of the State and a Kurmi himself, has been made member of the executive. Former MP, Ashok Patel, who is from Fatehpur, which also has a fair sprinkling of Kurmi votes, has been appointed the secretary. Achhey Lal Nishad, who comes from the fishermen’s and boatmen’s community and has been named a member, belongs to Banda, which has a sizeable Nishad population.
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Anees Mansuri, who heads the Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, an organisation of backward Muslims, has been appointed the secretary. Another backward Muslim leader and former MLA, R.A. Usmani has also been named the secretary. Neelam Romila Singh, who has been included as a member, is the only Christian in the State executive.
However, some MBCs (most backward castes) like the Vishwakarma, have found no place. “Three members of the Vishwakarma ‘samaj’ were in the previous committee, this time there is none,” said a senior party leader.