Opinion: Ram Gopal and Shivpal speak out, but where does Akhilesh stand?

The SP’s handling of the Bhati controversy has exposed differences among its senior leaders over religion, party discipline and the limits of personal views. With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election approaching, the question is whether Akhilesh Yadav can keep the leadership united despite these disagreements.

Dr Neha Singh

The recent developments within the Samajwadi Party (SP) during polling for Uttar Pradesh’s teacher and graduate constituencies for the legislative council have brought internal differences within the party to the fore. After casting his vote in Saifai, Rajya Sabha MP Professor Ram Gopal Yadav made statements that differed from the party’s stand on electoral-roll irregularities.

Meanwhile, National General Secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav criticised party spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati for his controversial statements at a Buddhist Dhamma Diksha programme and called them a breach of party discipline.

The two episodes have exposed differences among senior leaders and raised questions about the party’s response to sensitive political issues.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav and several other party leaders have accused officials of bias and irregularities in the electoral rolls. However, Ram Gopal said that voters also needed to check their names and report any errors. He said that officials could not be blamed for every mistake and added that he had no information about large-scale fake entries. He also said that complaints from Auraiya had been promptly taken up with the Election Commission (EC) and the superintendent of police.

His statement also emphasised that party workers needed to check the voter lists and report errors in time rather than place all the blame on officials.

Another point of disagreement was Bhati’s participation in the Buddhist Dhamma Diksha programme. On October 20, at Ambedkar Bhawan in Delhi, he recited 22 vows that included rejecting Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Ram and Krishna as deities and refusing to worship them.

The video went viral and led to criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Bhati denied converting to Buddhism and said that he was still a Hindu who respected Buddhist traditions.

Ram Gopal made the party’s stand clear and said that Bhati’s comments might be his personal views, but the SP did not support them. He also warned that Bhati could lose his post as spokesperson if he repeated such statements.

Shivpal Yadav also called Bhati’s statement a breach of party discipline. He said a spokesperson must consult the leadership before making such comments and left the decision on further action to Akhilesh. Both senior leaders made it clear that the SP did not want to be associated with statements that could hurt Hindu sentiments.

However, the reaction from Uttar Pradesh SP President Shyamlal Pal was different. He had earlier defended Bhati, arguing that the choice of religion was a personal matter in a secular country and that neither the party nor the government should interfere. His view differed from Ram Gopal and Shivpal, both of whom called the statement unacceptable.

Akhilesh has not made a clear public statement on the controversy. His silence has left the differences between the state unit and the two senior leaders unresolved. The party is apparently divided over how to respond to an issue involving religion and the conduct expected of a spokesperson.

Differences within the Saifai family are not new. Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav have had their share of disagreements over the years. The family feud of 2016-17, when Shivpal and Akhilesh were at odds, showed how internal disputes can hurt the party. Their differences have often played out in public and affected the SP’s political fortunes.

These incidents do not show how deep the differences within the SP run. They do show that senior leaders can disagree on issues where the party needs a clear stand. Such differences can confuse party workers about the official line and give opponents a chance to attack the leadership.

With the 2027 assembly elections approaching, the SP will need to resolve these differences before they turn into a bigger public feud. Keeping its senior leaders united and ensuring that they speak with one voice will be important for the party. The SP’s past experience shows that public infighting can hurt its electoral prospects and raise doubts about its leadership.

(The author is a political science researcher and academic. She holds a PhD from JNU and presently works as a guest lecturer at the University of Delhi. The views expressed are her own and do not reflect the editorial position of Zee News.)

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