Samajwadi Party (SP)

Career and Life

The Samajwadi Party (SP) (meaning 'Socialist Party') is a socialist political party in India, primarily based in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The party was founded on October 4, 1992, by former Janata Dal politician Mulayam Singh Yadav. The SP professes a socialist ideology, inspired by the veteran socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, with the goal of creating a socialist society based on equality. The party grew to become one of the largest regional parties in India, gaining influence by pursuing secular politics and mobilizing support among Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the Muslim minority. The SP has been the ruling party in UP for four terms: three times under Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the most recent under his son, Akhilesh Yadav, who served a full term from 2012–2017. Since January 2017, Akhilesh Yadav has served as the party's President. The SP is currently part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.).

Major Works / Key Positions

• Ruled Uttar Pradesh for four terms (1993, 2003, and 2012, plus initial term under Mulayam Singh Yadav).
• Achieved a historic breakthrough in the 2024 general elections, winning 37 Lok Sabha seats.
• Led the fastest construction of a major metro rail system (Lucknow Metro).
• Established the 1090 Women Power Line for anonymous reporting of harassment.
• Implemented large infrastructure projects, including the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.