Agra, June 1 (IANS) The national convention of the Samajwadi Party will be held here June 7 and 8 to decide strategies that could help it regain power in Uttar Pradesh.
With the country’s most populous state set to elect a new assembly next year, Samajwadi Party leaders feel the time is just right to think of ways to topple Chief Minister Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Going by the scale of arrangements and the response state-wide, this could turn out to be the biggest jamboree of the party in recent years.
Samajwadi Party leaders say they are eager to cash in on what they say is the growing discontent against the Mayawati government.
‘Factors guiding our strategists to bid for power include the general desire for a change of guard and of course the corruption and misrule of the BSP,’ says political analyst Rajeev Saxena.
Although supposedly rooted in socialist ideas, Samajwadi leaders will meet at the Mughal Sheraton June 6 to finalize the various resolutions that will be passed at the convention.
The national convention itself is being held at the sprawling Telegraph ground at the Agra Cantonment.
In view of the scorching summer heat, there will be plenty of air coolers and air-conditioners.
The tourism sector is naturally upbeat.
This is off-season for the industry. Yet, thanks to the party meet, all the hotel rooms have been booked in the city.
The taxi union is equally happy.
On Monday, the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh announced it will not use plastic and polythene flags but will go for cotton cloth products.
An organising committee member said that 125,000 small green buntings, 20,000 big flags and 10,000 small cloth flags had been procured.
City Samajwadi Party president Wajid Nisar said 101 welcome arches with names of party leaders will be put up all the way to ‘Lohia Nagar’, as the conference venue will be called.
A huge hot air balloon at the venue will detail the achievements of the party.
The organisers are expecting at least 20,000 delegates from all parts of India.
‘School halls, banquet halls and smaller hotels have been booked for the delegates,’ a spokesman said.
For party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Agra holds a special place because of its proximity to the Yadav belt.
If past is anything to go by, a meeting in Agra is considered lucky for the Samajwadi Party’s bid for power.
Local leaders said pollution of the Yamuna river and the land acquisition by the government will figure prominently in the discussions. The party is expected to define its stand on corruption and the Lokpal bill.
