Samajwadi Party Looks to Woo Women Voters through New Outfits.
As polls approach in Uttar Pradesh, the political scene is abuzz with strategic maneuvres. The Samajwadi Party seeks to counter the BJP’s women-focused outreach by reorienting its own approach. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s daughter Aditi, campaigning for mother Dimple Yadav in Mainpuri, caught eyeballs. While the party termed it as a student participating meaningfully, others view it as countering PM Modi‘s emphasis on women as a priority vote bank.
In speeches, Yadav stresses the ‘A’ in SP’s PDA signifies not just minorities but also ‘half the population’, i.e., women. Slogans like ‘half population, full rights’ pepper addresses despite low women participation at rallies. This signals intent to lay claim to a neglected vote segment.
Some surprise picks in the SP camp challenge claims of patriarchy. Ruchi Veera fought from Moradabad despite inner turmoil while London-educated Iqra Hasan connected with non-Muslim Kairana homes focusing on girl’s education.
Meerut saw a Dalit candidate tap BSP’s Jatav support, while Dimple’s Rawat ancestry was highlighted to woo aggrieved Thakurs. The BJP hit back, fielding a prominent Thakur minister from Dimple’s Mainpuri seat.
Political observers will watch if these attempted course corrections help SP make inroads or if Modi’s personalized charisma with women sustains the BJP’s momentum. Much also depends on effective translations of proposed policy stances on the ground.
