All%20India%20Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen%20%28AIMIM%29%20chief%20Asaduddin%20Owaisi%u2019s%20palpable%20threat%20seems%20to%20have%20shaken%20Samajwadi%20Party%20president%20and%20former%20Uttar%20Pradesh%20Chief%20Minister%20Akhilesh%20Yadav%20out%20of%20his%20prolonged%20slumber.

What%20appears%20to%20have%20rattled%20him%20more%20recently%20was%20Owaisi%u2019s%20visit%20to%20Akhilesh%u2019s%20parliamentary%20constituency%20Azamgarh%2C%20where%20the%20AIMIM%20chief%20was%20accorded%20a%20hero%u2019s%20welcome%2C%20barely%20ten%20days%20back.

It%20sent%20Akhilesh%20running%20hurriedly%20to%20procure%20a%20huge%20plot%20of%20land%20in%20the%20city%20to%20set%20up%20his%20own%20constituency%20office%2C%20which%20he%20did%20not%20care%20to%20do%20in%20the%20past%2021%20months%20since%20he%20got%20elected%20to%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%20in%20May%202019.

Precisely%2010%20days%20after%20Owaisi%20zoomed%20into%20Azamgarh%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20the%20Samajwadi%20Party%20purchased%20about%20one%20acre%20of%20land%20in%20Anwarganj%20area%2C%20about%206%20km%20from%20the%20heart%20of%20town%20to%20build%20his%20parliamentary%20constituency%20office.%20Now%2C%20all%20the%20focus%20is%20on%20ensuring%20construction%20of%20a%20grand%20office%20for%20him%20well%20before%20the%202022%20state%20assembly%20election.%20The%20sudden%20move%20is%20seen%20as%20the%20first%20step%20towards%20sending%20a%20message%20to%20the%20local%20population%20that%20their%20representative%20in%20the%20Parliament%20has%20concern%20for%20his%20constituency.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/now-up-govt-department-asks-employees-to-shell-out-days-salary-for-ayodhya-temple-construction%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ENow%20UP%20govt%20department%20asks%20employees%20to%20shell%20out%20day%u2019s%20salary%20for%20Ayodhya%20temple%20construction%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

The%20seat%20was%20chosen%20for%20Akhilesh%20by%20his%20father%20and%20SP%20patriarch%20Mulayam%20Singh%20Yadav%2C%20who%20held%20it%20earlier.%20No%20wonder%2C%20Akhilesh%20could%20get%20a%20smooth%20sail%20even%20during%20the%20Narendra%20Modi%20wave%20of%202019.%20It%20was%20the%20Muslim-Yadav%20combine%20that%20invariably%20proved%20to%20be%20the%20determining%20factor%20in%20Azamgarh.%20It%20was%20therefore%20that%20the%20father%20who%20chose%20to%20move%20to%20his%20other%20old%20political%20bastion%20of%20Mainpuri%20while%20abdicating%20Azamgarh%20as%20safe%20haven%20for%20his%20son.

However%2C%20Akhilesh%20has%20been%20rather%20lax%20about%20visiting%20his%20parliamentary%20constituency%20ever%20since%20he%20made%20his%20entry%20to%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%20in%202019%2C%20after%20being%20voted%20out%20of%20power%20in%202017.%20According%20to%20local%20SP%20sources%20in%20Azamgarh%2C%20Akhilesh%20made%20three%20trips%20to%20Azamgarh%20since%20March%202019%2C%20but%20none%20of%20these%20were%20meant%20to%20be%20%u201Cpolitical%u201D.%20Twice%2C%20he%20was%20compelled%20to%20go%20there%20to%20attend%20the%20last%20rites%20of%20senior%20SP%20leaders%2C%20while%20the%20third%20visit%20was%20just%20a%20brief%20stopover.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B

It%20was%20rather%20late%20in%20the%20day%20that%20Akhilesh%20realised%20the%20need%20to%20keep%20in%20touch%20with%20his%20constituency.%20Perhaps%20his%20complacence%20could%20be%20attributed%20to%20the%20fact%20that%20he%20took%20Azamgarh%20for%20granted%20on%20account%20of%20the%20clout%20that%20his%20father%20enjoyed%20here%20with%20the%20local%20population.%26nbsp%3B

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/redesigned-foundation-of-ram-temple-being-laid-after-builders-found-saryu-stream-flowing-deep-below%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ERedesigned%20foundation%20of%20Ram%20temple%20being%20laid%20after%20builders%20found%20Saryu%20stream%20flowing%20deep%20below%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

The%20next%20parliamentary%20election%20may%20be%20a%20good%20three%20years%20away%2C%20but%20the%20state%20assembly%20elections%20in%20March%202022%20are%20getting%20closer.

Not%20just%20Azamgarh%2C%20but%20Akhilesh%u2019s%20disconnect%20with%20the%20grassroots%20has%20become%20a%20matter%20of%20concern%20for%20his%20own%20party%20men%20and%20supporters%2C%20who%20were%20so%20much%20used%20to%20the%20dedication%20and%20devotion%20of%20his%20father%20towards%20them.%20His%20own%20party%20leaders%2C%20including%20some%20of%20the%2045%20%u2013%20odd%20sitting%20MLAs%20have%20been%20often%20heard%20complaining%20that%20he%20avoids%20field%20visits.%20%u201CBhaiya%u2019s%20%28as%20they%20refer%20to%20Akhilesh%29%20politics%20is%20now%20limited%20to%20Twitter%20and%20the%20200-%20metre%20span%20between%20his%20residence%20and%20state%20party%20headquarters%20in%20Lucknow%u201D%2C%20quipped%20a%20young%20SP%20activist%2C%20while%20referring%20to%20a%20recent%20street%20protest%20in%20Lucknow.

His%20staunch%20supporters%20attribute%20his%20poor%20presence%20on%20ground%20to%20the%20long%20spell%20of%20COVID-19.%20Whatever%20be%20the%20reason%2C%20it%20may%20not%20be%20too%20far-fetched%20to%20assume%20that%20he%20was%20reducing%20himself%20to%20a%20paper%20tiger%20in%20today%u2019s%20politics%2C%20when%20BJP%20is%20on%20whole%20hog%20aggression.

After%20all%2C%20with%20Bahujan%20Samaj%20Party%20%28BSP%29%20supremo%20Mayawati%20appearing%20to%20be%20virtually%20falling%20in%20line%20with%20the%20ruling%20dispensation%20%u2013%20be%20it%20on%20account%20of%20ED%20or%20CBI%20scanners%20hovering%20over%20her%20and%20her%20brother%20%u2013%20a%20lot%20of%20hopes%20were%20pinned%20heavily%20on%20Samajwadi%20Party.%20Congress%20continues%20to%20remain%20down%20in%20the%20dumps%2C%20to%20such%20an%20extent%20that%20it%20remains%20there%20largely%20for%20namesake.

Under%20the%20circumstances%2C%20Akhilesh%20was%20expected%20to%20be%20taking%20up%20the%20role%20of%20the%20most%20prominent%20opposition%20leader%20to%20be%20taking%20on%20the%20BJP%20juggernaut%20in%20the%20country%u2019s%20most%20populous%20state.

However%2C%20surprisingly%20even%20outrageous%20incidents%20like%20the%20Hathras%20gangrape%20and%20murder%20did%20not%20provoke%20Akhilesh%20to%20step%20out%20of%20his%20cocoon.%20Thanks%20to%20Owaisi%u2019s%20single%20foray%20into%20Azamgarh%2C%20the%20SP%20chief%20has%20at%20long%20last%20realised%20the%20need%20to%20come%20out%20of%20his%20hibernation.%20AIMIM%u2019s%20local%20leadership%20in%20Azamgarh%20believe%20that%20SP%20was%20fast%20losing%20ground%20in%20the%20area.%20%u201CThe%20fact%20that%20Akhilesh%20Yadav%20was%20propelled%20into%20hastily%20getting%20land%20to%20build%20his%20office%20in%20Azamgarh%20nearly%20two%20years%20after%20he%20got%20elected%20from%20here%20reflects%20how%20jittery%20he%20has%20become%20because%20of%20Owaisi%20saheb%u2019s%20increasing%20influence%20in%20this%20region%u201D%2C%20remarked%20district%20AIMIM%20district%20head%20Saukat%20Ali%20Mahul.

%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/mayawatis-birthday-resolution-and-a-plan-to-regain-lost-ground%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%7C%20Mayawati%27s%20birthday%20resolution%20and%20a%20plan%20to%20%27regain%20lost%20ground%27%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

According%20to%20him%2C%20SP%u2019s%20vote%20in%20Azamgarh%20was%20seen%20sliding%20in%20both%202017%20and%202019.%20%u201CSP%20could%20win%20this%20seat%20easily%20largely%20because%20of%20the%20support%20of%20Muslims%2C%20but%20what%20is%20regrettable%20that%20he%20failed%20to%20rise%20to%20the%20occasion%20even%20on%20serious%20issues%20concerning%20them%20-%20be%20it%20CAA%2C%20NRC%20or%20triple-talaaq%u201D%2C%20he%20lamented.

If%20such%20disillusionment%20prevails%20with%20the%20larger%20section%20of%20the%20minorities%20and%20with%20reports%20of%20a%20sectional%20shift%20of%20votes%20of%20the%20other%20dominant%20community%20of%20Yadavs%2C%20Azamgarh%20could%20pose%20serious%20impediments%20for%20Akhilesh.%20Should%20he%20be%20thanking%20Owaisi%20for%20this%20wake-up%20call%3F

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23AsaduddinOwaisi%22%20data-user-id%3D%22QPsTbU3MSvTa%22%20href%3D%22/topic/asaduddin-owaisi%22%3E%23AsaduddinOwaisi%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23AkhileshYadav%22%20data-user-id%3D%22JvElVFeu4H9q%22%20href%3D%22/topic/akhilesh-yadav%22%3E%23AkhileshYadav%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Azamgarh%22%20data-user-id%3D%2260eRdhEnj3MZ%22%20href%3D%22/topic/azamgarh%22%3E%23Azamgarh%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23UttarPradesh%22%20data-user-id%3D%228fpxFfZw7Hfa%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uttar-pradesh%22%3E%23UttarPradesh%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B