Lok Sabha elections: Firozabad, the big Yadav clan fight

The famous glass and bangle town of Firozabad is all set to vote for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the third phase of polling on April 23.
Here, the battle is being perceived as a high-power ego tussle between the uncle-nephew duo of Pragatishil Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) chief Shivpal Yadav and Samajwadi Party’s Akshay Yadav. Shivpal is the brother of SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akshay is the son of Mulayam’s cousin, Ramgopal Yadav.
Sixty-four-year-old Shivpal Yadav is said to enjoy formidable political clout in Firozabad.On the other hand, 32-year-old Akshay is the incumbent MP of the parliamentary seat.
Supported by the two allies of Mahagathbandhan, Akshay is also likely to score well among SP-BSP voters.
However, it is to be seen whether the young MBA graduate will be able to challenge the supremacy of the former SP giant and retain his seat.
A sitting MLA from Jaswant Nagar seat in Etawah, Shivpal floated the new party last year after he quit SP over not getting "due respect".
Prior to the mega break-up after 26 years of association, it was Shivpal who was responsible for the party work in Firozabad and the nearby areas, including Shikohabad, Sirsaganj, Jasrana and Tundla which also constitute the Firozabad Parliamentary seat.
From Etah to Etawah, Shivpal has been known for his stronghold on the Braj belt and is known for his close ties with the grassroots workers. Former MLA and Firozabad district president of PSP, Ajeem Bhai testifies.
“Shivpal ji always smiles and meets people. He listens and solves issues on the spot. Akshay and Ramgopal cannot match with the way he connects with the people,” he told TOI.com
When Shivpal quit SP, many workers and local leaders also left the party to continue their loyalty with him. These leaders include several prominent regional leaders such as Hari Om Yadav and Azeem Bhai.
With Azeem Bhai now in Shivpal’s Pragatishil Samajwadi Party (Lohiya), it will be a task for Akhilesh and Akshay to woo Muslim voters of Firozabad. Muslims constitute 12.60% of the total population and their vote can have a significant impact on the result of the elections.
However, with his newly formed PSP (L), Shivpal needs to work on creating a new identity and an ideology in order to let his vote bank distinguish him from his old clan.
“The main aim is to first win the heart of the people of Firozabad. This is my house, my in-laws are also in Sirsanganj. People here know me and love me. In fact, I am contesting on the order of the people of Firozabad or I should say that the people here are fighting my election,” Shivpal said while speaking to TOI.com.
On the challenge posed by the Mahagathbandhan, Shivpal said: “Any true socialist will not agree with this alliance. It is an insult to the activists and leaders of SP, who have been up against the BSP since the beginning.”
However, the mahagathbandhan is expected to work in Akshay’s favour and most likely to bolster his vote share with the votes of Jatavs and other Dalit communities, both of which have a significant electoral presence with 19 per cent of total Scheduled Caste population in Firozabad.
But Shivpal’s extensive groundwork and political experience of more than 20 years can give him a tough time. Dismissing Shivpal’s competence, SP spokesperson Ameeque Jamei said: “Whatever Shivpalji did was for Samajwadi Party. The policy and ideas were ours and not his alone.”
Interestingly, Shivpal had played a prominent role in Akshay’s entry into politics in 2014 when he first became the MP from Firozabad. Akshay, who prior to his political career used to look after the family’s seed business, had won the election by over 5 lakh votes. He defeated BJP’s SP Singh Baghel by over 1 lakh votes.
Akshay has assumed the mantle with sincerity. In the last five years, he has attended 227 of the 331 sittings in Parliament. He has also utilized most of the MPLAD fund, almost 82%, allotted to his constituency, according to a report published by the Association of Democratic Reforms.
While Akshay enjoys the advantage of age, he still faces several challenges such as the upliftment of the Firozabad glass industry.
“The current MP has not met us even once. He does not even live here so how can he know our pain. The glass industry after demonetisation has gone through a rough time. The workers and labours have been affected the most,” says Salman, a glass manufacturing unit owner in Firozabad.
Sanju Yadav and eight of his colleagues who work at a bangle manufacturing unit in Firozabad also have the same opinion.
“Shivpal has been a regular visitor. We never got to see Akshay,” says Sanju.
Another challenge for Akshay will be to tackle the Modi wave.
“It is Modi wave which can give a tough time to SP and other candidates. Our vote is not for the candidate but for Modi ji,” according to Kamlesh Kumar Parashar, a chartered accountant in Firozabad.
The BJP’s face for Firozabad is Chandrasen Jadon. The last time he contested polls was in 1996 which he lost. Jadon is being considered as a dummy candidate by the mahagathbandhan parties to help Shivpal tackle the mahagathbandhan challenge.
"Giving ticket to a weak candidate like Jadon exposes BJP-PSPL back door alliance. The PSP(L) would support BJP indirectly against SP-BSP alliance, while BJP would help Shivpal Yadav to win his debut Parliamentary election against Akshay Yadav,” Vishal Yadav, youth leader of Samajwadi party alleged.