Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav
The monsoon session of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly is going to start from July 29. In such a situation, the biggest challenge facing the SP is to choose the leader of the opposition. Akhilesh Yadav was serving as Leader of Opposition since 2022, but has now resigned after being elected MP from Kannauj. Now it remains to be seen who Akhilesh Yadav replaces as Leader of Opposition. A section in the SP is pushing to make Kaka Shivpal Yadav the Leader of the Opposition, but a section of the party is against him. In such circumstances, it remains to be seen whether Akhilesh Yadav will hand over the opposition chair to his family or trust some other leader keeping the organization and future politics in mind?
The SP will have to find a strong Leader of Opposition to replace Akhilesh Yadav before the Uttar Pradesh assembly session begins. We need someone who has the power to push the SP’s political agenda in the state and corner the Yogi government in the assembly. In such a situation, the question in everyone’s mind is who will be the leader of the opposition in the assembly. The names of many leaders are included in this list. However, the current 105 SP MLAs lack an aggressive speaker who can react immediately when needed and corner the government on various issues.
A division in support of Shivpal
A faction in the SP is trying to make Shivpal Singh Yadav, one of the founding members of the party and a former minister, the Leader of the Opposition. Shivpal Yadav is a six-time MLA and was the Leader of the Opposition between 2009 and 2012. In such a situation, Shivpal Yadav’s supporters are conspiring to make him the Leader of the Opposition and arguing in his favor that, being an experienced leader, he can force his way through the House, but another section of the party is in his favour.
This problem is stuck with Shivpal
Many leaders close to Akhilesh Yadav are not sure about giving him the post of Leader of Opposition. His reasoning behind this is that Shivpal Singh Yadav is not a good orator and will not be able to present the party’s issue better in the House. Apart from this, it is also being said that if Shivpal Yadav is made the leader of the opposition, the SP will also be accused of being biased by Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav should consider appointing a Dalit face or a non-Yadav OBC leader given the results of the recent Lok Sabha elections.
SP does not want to give chance to opponents
The presence of the Yadav community in the post of SP president, leader of the Lok Sabha and leader of the opposition in the assembly will provide an opportunity to surround the opposition. That is why it is believed that SP chief Akhilesh may hand over the post of Leader of Opposition to a leader other than Yadav and Shivpal Yadav may get the formula to give the post of Chief Whip. The reason for this is that the SP has made Lal Bihari Yadav the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. In such a situation, Shivpal Yadav cannot play the role of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
Akhilesh can bet on this MLA
Questions may arise if the Leader of Opposition in both houses of the legislature is drawn from the Yadav community. After Lal Bihari Yadav was made Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, now any non-Yadav OBC can be given the Chairmanship of Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly. In this list, Akhilesh Yadav can play the role of making Ambedkar Nagar MLA Ram Achal Rajbhar and Kaushambi MLA Indrajit Saroj the Leader of the Opposition. Ram Achal hails from a non-Yadav OBC. Rajbhar is a big leader of the community, while Indrajit Saroj comes from the Pasi caste of the Dalit community.
5 Pasi MPs in Lok Sabha Elections
As the Pasi community has voted for the SP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and five Pasis have been elected from their party, the chances of Indrajit becoming the Leader of the Opposition are high as Akhilesh Yadav is at the helm. While of the opposition, Indrajit Saroj is on the post of deputy leader in the house. He also fits into the SP’s political equation. Ram Achal Rajbhar may come from a non-Yadav OBC, but his political base is not all over UP, but the Pasi community is all over UP.
Although it is the responsibility of the SP leadership to decide the Leader of Opposition, there is a split in the party as some feel that Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is well-connected with the cadre, can carry the MLAs well. There itself. Considering the recent Lok Sabha elections, it seems that the party may give the responsibility to senior Dalit leaders like Pasi (Lok Sabha MP) Awadhesh Prasad to win the confidence of Dalit votes. community. .
Akhilesh may go ahead on the PDA formula
To come to power in UP, SP is banking on non-Yadav OBC votes. Ram Achal will give proper leadership role to Rajbhar. However, the drawback of both Saroj and Rajbhar is that they are former BSP leaders and a section of the party wants an established name from the party to hold the post. The idea behind putting his name forward is to use the LOP designation to promote the party’s PDA issues – backward, downtrodden and minorities. In such a situation, Akhilesh Yadav can gamble on applying the PDA formula.
