Akhilesh Yadav wants to be prime Minister
(Dr Pentapati Pullarao)
Former Prime Minister of England Harold Wilson famously said 60 years ago “A week is a long time in politics “. Just a week ago, Akhilesh Yadav, former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, did not show national ambitions and looked content to be in Uttar Pradesh. Suddenly, Akhilesh Yadav announced that he will contest from Kanauji for parliament. Clearly, Akhilesh is in the race to be prime Minister. In 2000, Akhilesh Yadav first became an MP from Kanauji. In 2012, Akhilesh Yadav became the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh is popular with Minorities. But at the same time, Akhilesh has been careful not to hurt sentiments of upper caste and OBC Hindus and carefully cultivates them. Why did Akhilesh suddenly stand for Parliament?
1. Akhilesh Yadav must have felt that if the BJP is defeated, then he can demand the prime Minister’s job for himself. Why should be work for someone else to become Prime Minister?
2. Akhilesh Yadav is highly acceptable to Mamata Banerjee, KCR, both DMK and ADMK, Sharad Pawar, Thackeray, Laloo Prasad Yadav, the 2 Communist parties and all regional parties in India. Akhilesh has not created suspicion in other regional parties that he will dominate them.
3. Akhilesh must have assessed that if Congress rises, then Congress will become a threat to his vote bank in Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, by contesting for parliament, Akhilesh has made himself available to India Alliance for job of Prime Minister and to indirectly stop Rahul Gandhi.
4. If people think that Akhilesh Yadav is a Prime Minister candidate, then more Uttar Pradesh voters will vote for his party.
5. Within the INDIA Alliance, which Congress heads, there are secret politics and competition. Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Arvind Kejriwal don’t want a Congress leader as prime Minister. They may have even suggested to Akhilesh Yadav to contest for parliament. They will all support Akhilesh Yadav silently or some openly. Akhilesh Yadav will also attract regional parties from Tamil Nadu, Andhra and KCR in Telangana.
6. Akhilesh is the biggest leader other than Narendra Modi in the Hindi states. OBCs and Minorities highly prefer him. So, without saying that he is in the race for prime Minister, it is assumed that he is now a candidate. Many sides to: Akhilesh Yadav are a hard politician. One must remember that as Chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav forced his father Mulayam Singh to lose control of Samajwadi party. Akhilesh used strong-arm methods against his father and uncles. Who can forget the ugly scene in December 2016 in Lucknow, when Akhilesh Yadav grabbed the microphone from his father and pushed out his uncles and indulged in ugly scenes? The great Shakespeare said 500 years ago “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff “. Shakespeare meant that political ambition requires ruthlessness. Akhilesh Yadav has sufficient ruthlessness. Just remember how he ousted his father from Samajwadi party in 2016. Though Congress will be silent, Akhilesh is an immediate threat to Rahul Gandhi. There is no doubt that he must have consulted Mamata Banerjee and others. Akhilesh is calculative and self-centered, like most political dynasts. But, unlike others, Akhilesh Yadav does not behave arrogantly in public. When Akhilesh ejected his father from the Samajwadi party in 2016, he said: “Sometimes to protect the ones you love, you must make tough decisions, which I thought I had to take,” Will such a man care for any other opposition leader? With the entry of Akhilesh Yadav into national politics, it has become a “Svayam Wara “for the throne of prime minister. There are the ambitious ones like Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray and DMK Stalin. Every leader knows luck plays a part. Before going to jail, Kejriwal was also an attractive bridegroom. If you compare all these leaders, then Akhilesh Yadav shines in the Samvar.
Congress worries over Akhilesh Yadav: Definitely, the other ambitious person Rahul Gandhi now has competition from Akhilesh Yadav. The reality is that Akhilesh Yadav is a serious rival. Right now, these rivals are friendly and smiling. But wait till the results come out. Many India Alliance partners like Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee have openly said they don’t want a Congress leader as Prime Minister. But everything is fluid in politics, and anything can happen. Of course, all these are daydreams that the BJP won’t get a majority. But Akhilesh Yadav thinks there is no harm in waiting as a prime minister candidate! Of all possible rivals for Rahul Gandhi in the opposition, the most serious one is Akhilesh Yadav. It was totally un-expected move of Akhilesh Yadav. But Akhilesh has said he has great experience as he was a chief minister of the biggest state in India. Most Indian Prime Ministers are elected from Uttar Pradesh, as Narendra Modi too. Let us see if Akhilesh Yadav is lucky! Akhilesh made a sudden move to contest for Parliament. But there is cold calculation behind this sudden move of Akhilesh.
(Author is a Politico and Economic analyst based in New Delhi)
