United colours of politics: Akhilesh checks several boxes with a stroke of blue

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference, at party office, in Lucknow, Tuesday Lucknow: Introducing blue T-shirt and jeans as the new dress code for the party’s student wing, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh showcased the move as an attempt to strike a chord with the new generation – dominated by Gen Z – with a new approach. In political circles, however, the announcement was seen as more than a change of colour.Political observers see the move as SP’s attempt to experiment with a new visual identity that has helped party strategists to check several boxes with a single stroke of blue. By choosing denim blue jeans and blue T-shirt, the party has apparently tried to strike a chord with the Gen Z and Gen Alpha who prefer the casual wear.“Unlike the traditional white Khadi kurta-pyjama and the red Nehru caps – the usual but formal attire of the SP functionaries, jeans and T-shirts provide a distinctly informal and youth-oriented visual language. This can go a long way in striking an instant connect with the young minds on university and college campuses,” said a political observer.As Akhilesh himself explained the colour blue also has a direct connect with the Constitution of India – which the young India looks up to more than the rest. “Blue was the personal favourite of the architect of the Constitution of India Dr BR Ambedkar. It was his personal favourite. This is the only reason why in almost all of his statues that people come across, he is seen wearing a blue suit and holding a blue book which is assumed to be the copy of the Constitution,” said a political observer.This apart, the choice of colour blue also has a strong political significance. Blue has long been strongly associated with Dalit politics. Dr Ambedkar chose blue for the flag of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation, which he founded in 1942, and later for the Republican Party of India in 1956.The colour has been prominently used by the Bahujan Samaj Party, which has historically positioned itself as the principal political voice of Dalits in the state and beyond.For the SP, the choice of colour blue has a political subtext and so does the timing of the change in uniform of the party’s student wing. Political observers point out that SP has been trying to firm up the social coalition which has Dalits as a top-up for its traditional vote bank – the Backward Classes and Muslims.It was this social coalition that SP had brought together in the run up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the banner of PDA that comprises Pichhde (Backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyaks. The move had paid rich electoral dividends with SP winning 37 seats – the highest ever tally of the party in any Parliament election ever.“That PDA is working good for the SP and our political opposition is unhappy about it. Had that not been the case, the BJP’s newly appointed Uttar Pradesh in charge Vinod Tawde would not have targeted the party on PDA in his maiden attack on SP hours after he landed in Lucknow recently to flag off BJP’s preparations for the 2027 elections,” said a senior SP functionary.Political observers are of the view that Akhilesh’s latest visual messaging could very well be a part of a well-defined strategy to reach out to broader social base without taking his hands off the PDA.Political observers though agree that colour symbolism does matter in the present time and age where politics of perception often overrides personal preferences, there was a lot more that SP will need to do in addition to adding colours to its electoral strategy.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in LucknowStay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Download the TOI App.