Agra, Jun 10 (IANS): The Samajwadi Party is singularly focussed on how to seize power in Uttar Pradesh as it ended a two-day national convention here amid luxurious trappings. Those delegates with old-time socialist moorings who wanted to update themselves on the need and relevance of socialism in this era of free market economy were disappointed.
But some of the organisers -- and delegates -- expressed surprise that party leaders chose to end the meeting that drew thousands from all across India before lunch Wednesday although it was to last until 5 p.m.
As expected, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's family overshadowed the June 7-8 conference.
Yadav tried to enthuse party workers by asking them to focus on upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh so as to dislodge the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government.
"All of us have to unitedly work to dislodge the BSP government. The next government in Lucknow will be ours," he declared.
But the party leadership appeared to be in a bind.
Many leaders, including Yadav, offered evasive replies when asked about the Samajwadi Party's ties with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
While party leaders backed yoga guru Baba Ramdev's fast against corruption, nobody was prepared to go the whole hog and snap ties with the UPA.
What struck many as odd was the luxury enveloping the Samajwadi Party meet.
"Long back these conferences used to be marked by ideological debates and hair-splitting of the finer aspects of socialism and its new variants," V.P. Singh, an educationist, recalled.
All hotel rooms were booked in the city. Delegates came from as far as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. But many spent the day sightseeing.
Agra was flooded with banners, hoardings and posters.
One veteran socialist here, watching from the sidelines, expressed surprise at the vulgar display of resources. This included a large number of vehicles and the luxurious living style of many leaders.
"In our days in the 60s and even early 70s, socialist conferences were marked by austerity and better bondings," said the socialist, not ready to be identified by name.
There was also trouble in store after a party leader, Heera Thakur, abused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Mayawati from the stage repeatedly.
Police searched for him in the hotels but he had disappeared.