Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav may have chosen the political arena of Delhi over Lucknow, but the focus is on solving the Uttar Pradesh equation. After the SP became the single largest party in UP with 37 Lok Sabha seats, Akhilesh is in no mood to take any risks with his Muslim vote bank. Akhilesh Yadav’s stand in Parliament on a bill brought by the Modi government to amend the Waqf Act is the first time that it has been seen on an issue related to Muslims.
Akhilesh Yadav not only opposed the Wakf Amendment Bill but also questioned the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Wakf Board and giving powers to District Magistrates. Not only this, Akhilesh said that the government wants to interfere in the affairs of Muslims through the bill. For the first time, Akhilesh has been seen taking an open stand like father Mulayam Singh Yadav on issues related to Muslims. That is why it is being said that Akhilesh has made a big political move in the name of Waqf Board, whose agenda is Muslim vote bank.
My equation of smoothness
SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav managed to maintain a strong hold among the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh through his stance and Muslim politics. When Mulayam Singh Yadav was the CM, he fired on Karsevaks to protect the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Mulla Mulayam also started calling from this stand. Mulayam broke away from the Janata Dal to form the Samajwadi Party in the 90s, after which his political base shifted to Muslims and Yadavs. Due to my equation Mulayam Singh Yadav became Chief Minister of UP three times and Akhilesh Yadav came to power in UP once.
Akhilesh has not raised his voice on the issue of Muslims
Akhilesh Yadav may have inherited politics, but he was trying to differentiate himself from Mulayam Singh. This is why Akhilesh is vocal on issues related to Muslims but not very vocal. He does not take an open stand on Azam Khan, the strong Muslim face of the SP. In the last 10 years, many such cases involving Muslims have come to light, but Akhilesh Yadav has not been able to come forward. Be it the issue of CAA and NRC or bulldozer running on the house of Muslims. Even after this SP is getting the votes of Muslims directly.
SP got the support of Muslims
In the 2022 UP assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP got 85 percent of the Muslim votes. Due to this, the strength of the SP in the Legislative Assembly has increased and it has become the third largest party in the Lok Sabha. Never in the political history of UP did Muslims vote for any party in such a large number. In such a situation, while the Modi government is taking steps to amend the Wakf Act, Akhilesh is seen following in the political footsteps of his father Mulayam Singh. Akhilesh Yadav has tried to convey a political message by standing openly with Muslims on the Waqf Bill.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say on the Waqf Bill?
Akhilesh Yadav during the discussion on Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha said that this bill is being brought very carefully. Through this bill, the government wants to interfere in the religious affairs of Muslims, under this bill, non-Muslims are being tried to be included in the waqf board, which has no reason. He said that if we turn the pages of history, it will be seen that a district magistrate of UP was given so much power, due to which future generations also had to suffer. I do not want to name that District Magistrate in the House. Akhilesh also said that the truth behind this bill is that the BJP has brought this bill to appease some of its frustrated and disillusioned die-hard supporters.
Akhilesh is opposing the Waqf Bill
Even before the Waqf Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh Yadav shared a photo with his Muslim MPs and made it clear that he would openly oppose the Waqf Bill. He said that Waqf Board reform is just a pretext, its aim is to sell land like defence, railways, nazul land. After Wakf Board Lands, Defense Lands, Railway Lands, Nazul Lands, they are the second link in the chain of ‘Plan for BJP’s Benefit’. Why BJP does not openly write that ‘Issued in the interest of BJP’. Akhilesh Yadav further said that he should be given a written guarantee that the Wakf Board lands will not be sold. BJP is working like a real estate company. Its name should be replaced by ‘Zamin’ instead of ‘Janata’. Indian Land Party.
Akhilesh Yadav’s strategy
Akhilesh Yadav is not only standing with Muslims in the name of Wakf, but he is also a political compulsion of SP. About 22 percent of Uttar Pradesh is Muslim. In such a situation, if the Muslim voters leave the SP, then there may be a political crisis for Akhilesh Yadav’s future politics. This is because SP’s political base depends on Muslim votes and Akhilesh’s tension can definitely increase if these votes are scattered and go with BSP or any Muslim party. Congress is also trying to woo Muslims. If we look at SP’s vote share, more than half of the votes belong to Muslims only. So keeping Muslims simple has become a compulsion for Akhilesh Yadav.
