D P Yadav sets sights on SP, BJP vote banks

With these twin factors in his favour, Yadav hopes to unravel Mulayam’s formidable Muslim-Yadav support base.

On a day when the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction of his son, Vikas Yadav, in the Nitish Katara murder case, D P Yadav was on the campaign trail in the Yadav-dominated villages in Sambhal constituency. “It is unfortunate… I had already planned to campaign today, so I could not be present in court,” he said.

In 2009, Yadav had unsuccessfully contested as a BSP candidate from the neighbouring Budaun constituency. This time, he is contesting from Sambhal under the banner of his own outfit, the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal, trying to tap into the SP’s Yadav vote bank.

“There is a very clear choice: on one side is Shafiqur Rahman (SP candidate) and Aqilurehman Khan (BSP candidate), and on the other side is D P Yadav,” he tells the predominantly Yadav community gathered at Khirni Tiraha, and later at Raipur village.\

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The Yadavs are angry with the SP leadership for fielding Shafiqur Rahman Barq, the sitting BSP MP who quit the party after he was denied a ticket. “It has become an Azam Khan government, not Akhilesh government,” said Gulzarilal Yadav, in his 70s, at Atrasi village, one of the largest Yadav-dominated villages in Sambhal.

The fact that they are ready to voice their anger despite the SP government recognising Atrasi village as a “Lohia Village” and a Mulayam Singh Yadav College in the area underlines the simmering resentment. However, although most of the villagers agreed with Gulzarilal, few said they would vote for D P Yadav.

On the other hand, the BJP is perceived to have fielded a “weak” candidate, giving rise to speculation that Yadav may be able to corner a substantial chunk of the traditional BJP vote bank.

“If he was the BJP candidate, he would have sneaked past the SP and BSP candidates. The BJP candidate appears to be weak and there is a likelihood that many of us may vote for D P Yadav instead,” said Mahesh Singh of Muleta village at Bahjoi town.

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With these twin factors in his favour, Yadav hopes to unravel Mulayam’s formidable Muslim-Yadav support base.

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