There is a growing clamour within the Samajwadi Party to make Akhilesh Yadav the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, reports Faisal Kidwai
Rumour mills are abuzz in Uttar Pradesh's political circles that Akhilesh Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, may be the new chief minister.
But the suspense is expected to continue till after Holi. The party, which got an absolute majority in Uttar Pradesh, would chose its next chief minister after the festival, amid growing demands from the parliamentary party members that Akhilesh be handed over the reins of the state.
"The meeting of legislators will be held after Holi to decide the future chief minister's name," party sources said in Lucknow.
The legislators meeting, which was earlier scheduled for Wednesday evening, was postponed keeping in mind the convenience of newly-elected MLAs due to the festival of Holi, they said.
If Akhilesh is made CM it would be looked at as a big leap for the party. It would be an attempt by the SP to move away from the image of an anti-development, regressive and mafia-dominated party to a more forward-moving, younger and pro-progress one.
It would also mean Akhilesh is being prepared to directly take on long-time nemesis Rahul Gandhi, the younger and more new 'India face' of Congress party.
Akhilesh's enmity with Rahul goes back a long way. His wife, Dimple, lost to Raj Babbar of Congress in Ferozabad in 2009, and Akhilesh took the defeat to heart and blamed Rahul for engineering it.
The chief minister's post will pit him against Rahul's attempt to rebuild the Congress in the state and also lay his claim on the main throne -- prime minister.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, a meeting of the SP parliamentary board was held in which majority of members pitched for state president Akhilesh Yadav as the next chief minister. However, the final decision would be taken in this regard by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"Majority of MLAs are in favour of making Akhilesh the next CM. At the meeting of legislators, they will put in their views on the issue," said party national General Secretary Naresh Agarwal.
A number of MLAs, who reached Lucknow at the party headquarters met Mulayam Singh Yadav and congratulated him for the victory of the party. "Now, the SP leaders will meet the Governor (BL Joshi) for forming the next government after legislators' meet after Holi", sources said.
Akilesh, who has won three Lok Sabha elections, has studied in Mysore and Australia, has been credited for the party's clean-sweep in the all-crucial elections. He is also being projected as the modern face of the party, long accused of regressive policies.
Will the rumours turn out to be true? Only time will tell.
The SP has bagged an absolute majority in 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly securing 224 seats.
With inputs from PTI
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