Awadhesh Prasad checks a lot of boxes, such as warning the Dalits, placing the BJP in a tough spot, and strengthening the unity of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh.
Who defeated BJP from Ayodhya ?
In a calculated move to further consolidate the Dalit vote in Uttar Pradesh and maintain momentum for the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance in the crucial state, the opposition is preparing to field Samajwadi Party MP from Faizabad and senior leader Awadhesh Prasad as its united nominee for the Deputy Speaker’s post.
Apart from his own legislative experience as a nine-time MLA from Milkipur (Ayodhya), Prasad checks several boxes for the INDIA coalition, being acknowledged as the Dalit face of a “Yadav party” such as the SP. His stature has been further enhanced by his victory over the BJP candidate from Faizabad, which came months after the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which is located inside the constituency. He was the only Dalit contender to be elected from a general seat in Uttar Pradesh.
A source claims that Mamata Banerjee, the leader of the Trinamool Congress and chief minister of West Bengal, was the one who initially suggested Prasad’s name. “Prasad’s name is mostly agreed upon, with leading figures in the INDIA bloc supporting it. Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the SP, Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Rahul Gandhi, the Congressman, and other prominent figures support the suggestion, according to “maclisten.com” source.
The insider went on to say that given that the INDIA bloc’s candidate for Speaker is a member of the Congress, it is only fitting that the candidacy for the position of Deputy Speaker comes from the party with the second-highest number of MPs, the SP.
Pointing out that the government was yet to reach out on the Deputy Speaker’s post, the source added: “It is normal for the opposition to come to an agreement on a candidate for the position.”
Last week, the Opposition supported K Suresh, the Congress’s choice for Speaker, compelling an uncommon struggle for the job. This followed from the government’s failure to provide a promise that an opposition MP would be appointed Deputy Speaker—a position that the Narendra Modi administration had kept open throughout its second term, which spanned from 2019 to 2024.
Even though Suresh lost, the opposition believes it made a strong enough impression to highlight the need for the Modi administration to be more flexible, especially in light of the fact that the BJP was unable to secure a majority in the most recent elections. The opposition’s claim that the BJP may “change the Constitution” and deny Dalits their quota rights may make it difficult for the BJP to reject Prasad’s candidacy. The BJP is also concerned about the message that may be sent out in relation to the next Assembly elections.
Given how the numbers are arranged, the Opposition is thus anticipated to demand a contest, even though it would lose if the BJP does not accept its nominee.
Prasad is a member of the Pasi sub-group of Dalits, which constitutes 5% of the population of Uttar Pradesh and is the second biggest group of Scheduled Castes after the Jatavs.
Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party (SP), has taken care to position Prasad, who dates back to the days of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, beside himself in Parliament.
A senior representative of the SP stated that Prasad’s candidacy would convey to the Dalit community—which is perceived to have sided with the INDIA alliance during the Lok Sabha elections due to the BSP’s downfall—that the party would not desert them. Using the “PDA (Pichla, Dalit and Alpasankhyak)” platform, Akhilesh had gone to the polls hoping to broaden his party’s base of support beyond the traditional Muslim-Yadav voter base.
We have a great opportunity to go out beyond the Yadavs and Muslims at this moment. The major reason the Dalit community is against the BJP, according to another SP senior, is because they see us as a danger to reservations and the Constitution. If we continue to consolidate, the party could even be able to influence the UP Assembly elections in 2027.
Underlining the significance of Prasad’s possible nomination as a united Opposition candidate, a senior Congress leader said: “From a seat that the BJP ran for in the Lok Sabha elections, he beat them (the BJP). Additionally, the fact that a Dalit overcame the BJP in their most prominent conflict makes it noteworthy.
Rahul and Akhilesh have not stopped talking about the BJP’s loss in Ayodhya since the polls on June 4. According to the opposition, it is the most glaring indication that the party’s attempt to sow “religious hatred” was unsuccessful.
Another Congress leader noted that by supporting Prasad, the party would be sending a message to the Hindi heartland that it will not give up on the area that sends the most MPs to the Lok Sabha. As a result, the party won seven of the seventeen Lok Sabha seats it contested, an increase from one from five years ago. “We wish to maintain the current momentum. The leader declared, “Our alliance with the SP has worked and is progressing very well.”
