NEW DELHI, 28 March 2007 — It was a day of losses yesterday for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) President Mulayam Singh Yadav.
There was grief in the midst of political turmoil as Mulayam’s mother passed away after a long illness. Her cremation was held at his native village of Safai in Uttar Pradesh.
Mulayam’s political companion and close aide of 30 years, Beni Prasad Verma, walked out on him to launch his own party. Like the SP’s Agra MP Raj Babbar, Verma too was unhappy with the rise of Amar Singh in a party of socialists.
Verma yesterday floated a new political alliance in state comprising his newly formed Samajwadi Kranti Dal and Dalit leader Udit Raj-led Indian Justice Party along with active participation of former Union Minister Arif Mohammed Khan.
Addressing a press conference here, Verma said: “The main ideology of the new alliance will be based on secularism and it will aim at bringing together Dalits, backwards and Muslims. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken refuge in the name of Ram in order to gain power and wealth and the alliance will expose their designs in the coming up assembly elections.”
Udit Raj said the new alliance will go a long way in strengthening the move to acquire political power by the Dalits and downtrodden as he alleged that the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) has deviated from its proclaimed ideology aimed at the community’s welfare. He charged the BSP leaders with “compromising” with the interests of Dalits for “money and power.”
Campaigning has picked up for the Uttar Pradesh polls, but Mulayam is increasingly appearing jittery if his statements at public rallies are anything to go by, say rivals.
Not a day has passed since the SP chief began addressing poll rallies in different parts of the state — the elections are spread over April 7-May 8 — when he has not voiced apprehension about being ousted from power. “You must vote our party to power, otherwise the opposition will join hands to send me to jail,” Mulayam told the electorate at Etawah, shortly after filing his nomination for the Bhartana seat.
