Samajwadi Party sets national ambition, eyes Assembly contests in Maharashtra, Haryana

New Delhi: After a spectacular show in recent Lok Sabha polls, the Samajwadi Party is understood to have set its eyes on going national with its political ideology. 

The socialist party, which secured a spectacular 37 seats from Uttar Pradesh, registered its best-ever performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Samajwadi Party, whose previous best performance was in 2004, when it secured 35 seats under the leadership of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has now emerged as the single-largest party in the most populous state and the third-largest nationally.

The SP increased its tally seven-fold as it had only been able to win five seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest number of MPs. 

Interestingly, the party has managed to improve its tally despite remaining out of power for seven years, giving confidence in its present leadership and political strategy to attempt a national expansion.

The party leadership feels that after this recent spectacular performance, it was the right time for the Samajwadi Party to test electoral waters, with an aim towards national expansion, in the forthcoming Assembly polls in other parts of the country.

The SP leadership is seemingly keen to put up its candidates in Maharashtra and Haryana, both of these states are set to go for Assembly polls over the next few months.

Riding on Congress’ back in Maharashtra, Haryana?

The Samajwadi Party leadership is understood to have sent out feelers to the Congress high command for a possible seat-sharing arrangement in the states of Maharashtra and Haryana in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

It is understood that top leadership of both parties has already held several rounds of talks over possible seat sharing in these states and a likely outcome is expected to be announced soon.

The SP is planning to field candidates in Haryana’s Legislative Assembly seats bordering Uttar Pradesh and the Ahirwal region. 

Haryana has about 10 per cent population of the Yadav community, the vote bank which is being targeted by the SP. 

The community, which has a strong hold over land and government jobs, is concentrated in the Ahirwal region of southern Haryana and can have an effect on the electoral outcome in about 25 Assembly constituencies and at least four Lok Sabha constituencies.

While in Maharashtra, the SP is hoping to make gains on seats dominated by the minority Muslim community. The SP had secured two seats in the Maharashtra Assembly polls in 2019.  

The party is relying heavily on its Maharashtra president and MLA, Abu Asim Azmi, to ensure further expansion in the state.  

The SP leadership feels that Congress is likely to give in to its demand for contesting the forthcoming Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls as a junior alliance partner. 

“The Congress’ high command is fully aware that it cannot ignore such demands as the grand old party is highly dependent on the SP for its survival and expansion in Uttar Pradesh,” sources pointed out.

Moreover, the leadership of both INDIA bloc partners are also aware that a good show in the forthcoming Assembly polls is very crucial for the opposition as it would continue the momentum being created against the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government.

These reasons are likely to ensure that the Congress high command, especially Rahul Gandhi, gives in to the demands of the SP and lets it expand into newer regions, the party feels. 

The expansion of SP into more states will also be a cause for concern for the Bharatiya Janata Party as the political outfit is expected to cut into OBC votes and create further trouble for the saffron alliance.