Samajwadi Party Registers Best-Ever Performance In Lok Sabha Elections

Samajwadi Party Registers Best-Ever Performance in Lok Sabha Elections | The Samajwadi Party (SP), under the leadership of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, has achieved its best-ever performance in the Lok Sabha elections, winning or leading 38 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. This marks a significant improvement from its previous best in 2004, when it won 35 seats. The SP has emerged as the single-largest party in Uttar Pradesh and the third-largest nationally, playing a crucial role in reducing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to 32 seats from 62 in 2019.

Details:

Historical Context: The SP’s previous best performance was in 2004, with 35 seats under the leadership of its founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Current Achievement: In the latest elections, SP’s strike rate was the highest among the bigger parties, winning or leading in 38 out of the 62 seats it contested.
Comparison with BJP: The BJP, contesting 76 seats in Uttar Pradesh, won only 32, marking a significant decline from its previous tally.
Alliance Performance: The SP-Congress alliance secured 44 seats, compared to 36 seats won by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

Strategic Shifts:

Vote Share Increase: SP increased its vote share to 33.38%, a substantial rise from 18.11% in 2019.
Assembly Polls: In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the SP improved its vote share to 32.1%, with its seat count rising to 111 from 47 in 2017.
Caste Coalition: The SP expanded its base beyond its traditional Muslim-Yadav vote bank, forming a coalition of non-Yadav Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Yadavs, Dalits, and Muslims. Akhilesh Yadav termed this combination as PDA (pichada, Dalits, and alpsahkhyaks).

Campaign Strategy:

Caste Census: Akhilesh Yadav emphasized the caste census as a path to social justice, organizing a PDA caste census bus yatra across the state.
Ticket Distribution: The SP’s ticket distribution was centered around the PDA formula, with significant representation for non-Yadav OBCs, Dalits, Muslims, and Yadavs.
Executive Reorganization: Ahead of the 2024 polls, the SP reorganized its national and state executives, focusing on inclusivity of non-Yadav OBCs, Dalits, Muslims, and Yadavs.

Electoral Tactics:

Ignoring BJP’s Planks: The SP-led alliance focused on issues of social justice, youth unemployment, paper leaks, caste census, and economy, sidelining BJP’s Hindutva, Ram Temple, and Hindu-Muslim narratives.
Inclusive Ticket Distribution: The SP allocated tickets to 27 non-Yadav OBCs, five Yadavs, 15 Dalits, four Muslims, and 11 upper caste leaders, also giving the Bhadohi seat to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Conclusion:

The SP’s strategic shift towards inclusivity and focus on social justice has led to its unprecedented success in the Lok Sabha elections. By broadening its voter base and addressing key socio-economic issues, the SP has positioned itself as a formidable force in Uttar Pradesh and nationally.