The way the political wind is blowing in Uttar Pradesh, all available indications show that he might just be fighting a losing battle.
LUCKNOW: By the time the UP election campaign closes on Sunday evening, UP CM and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav would have addressed close to 350 public meetings. The way the political wind is blowing in UP, all available indications show that he might just be fighting a losing battle.
Virtually the lone campaigner for his party, Mulayam has addressed up to 16 election rallies in a day. Even in the last three days of the campaign for the last phase of poll (May 7), he would be addressing a dozen meetings everyday in eastern UP districts, betraying his utter desperation.
“He is the only crowd puller we have,” says Mulayam’s OSD and political secretary Virendra Singh, comfortably settled in his air-conditioned office at the virtually-deserted SP office. Singh, in-charge of ‘Netaji’s’ campaign programme, points out that initially, Mulayam used to address only five to six meetings a day. He admits that the strain of the grueling schedule has begun to show on Netaji’s health. “After all, he is close to 70. Campaigning in this heat is not easy,” he says.
Mulayam’s stay at each meeting is precisely 30 minutes. “It’s like a hit and run. He rushes to the stage even before the helicopter’s rotor blades stop, grabs the mike, makes his speech and rushes back to take off for the next location,” a copter pilot, who has flown him often, tells DNA.
In contrast to Mulayam’s 350-odd public meetings, his brother PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav has been to a mere 36. Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav has a much better tally at 165.
Even Mulayam’s trusted lieutenant SP general secretary Amar Singh has been able to share little of his burden. First, he was busy with the Bachchan clan during the Abhi-Ash wedding. Then, his kidney operation soon after, has restricted his movement to a great extent. The lack of co-ordination within the party organisation hasn’t helped either.
At a meeting in Rae Bareli, Mulayam reached the rally venue before the candidate. At Saini in the Kaushambhi district, Mulayam had to hover over the rally ground in his helicopter for a long time as there was no gathering due to some confusion over the timing. In Allahabad, he had to cool his heels at a hotel as the attendance at the KP Inter College, the rally venue, was very poor.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}