UP's giant killer

This profile of UP CM designate Akhilesh Yadav appeared in Financial Chronicle with the following web link http://e.mydigitalfc.com/PUBLICATIONS/DCF/DCF/2012/03/10/INDEX.SHTML

MANISH ANAND

THE ASIAN AGE

A DAY after the humiliating loss of his wife Dimple Yadav at the hands of friend-turned-foe Raj Babbar in the Firozabad Lok Sabha by-elections, Akhilesh Yadav had set out to write the script for 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Egged on by the media whether he was ready for a faceoff with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, the young Yadav, who is nicknamed Tipu, told reporters that he would accept the challenge. Now that the Uttar Pradesh verdict is out, Akhilesh has clearly accounted for the loss of prestige with the defeat of his wife in November 2009.

A day before the fate of his wife's political debut was known, he had said that Babbar had used “extensive money power“ to defeat his party. Akhilesh also never forgot to remind all, that Uttar Pradesh had seen a huge rise in the number of berozgar baap (unemployed fathers).

Tipu included an unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000 per month in the party manifesto. This turned out to be one act of smart thinking of a leader who had his ears to the ground, as hundreds of youths started thronging the state government's employment exchanges in anticipation of getting the benefit.

Son of a wrestler-turned-politician father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh knew the youth, who held the key to success in the elections, wanted development. So, he was also instrumental in giving a modern look to the party, which promised tablets to students after passing the XIIth examination and modern education.

Akhilesh, born on July 1, 1973, was drafted into politics by Mulayam in 2000 when he was fielded to contest the Kannauj Lok Sabha by-election, after his father vacated the constituency.

He still represents the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat in parliament.

Before plunging into politics, Akhilesh had completed a master's degree in environmental engineering from Sydney University and had earned a Bachelor's degree in engineering from Sri Jayachamarajendra College in Mysore.

Although fluent in English, Akhilesh is seen answering questions in Hindi mostly, due to his keenness to connect with the youth of his state. After talking to him, one cannot but be impressed with his humility and modesty. This was evident in the course of campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh elections, because he always replied in mild ways to questions on personal attacks by his rivals. The people in the state see in him “one of their own“. The Uttar Pradesh mandate is clear on one thing, that Akhilesh is the youth icon of the state.

Akhilesh is blessed with steely resolve. Knowing that BSP chief Mayawati had ousted his father from the seat of power, Akhilesh cleverly worked to get the party rid of the perception of being one of the goons. Even when a close aide of Mulayam and party's Muslim face Azam Khan wanted to draft “mafia“ don DP Yadav into the party on poll eve, Akhilesh said a clear no. Tipu, with his young team of technocrats and management gurus, gave Mulayam a victory that he had never tasted in his career. Thus, party workers have reasons for rooting for this young Yadav to be the next chief minister of the state.