Akhilesh Yadav waving sword during a public meeting in the by-election of 2000
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who was the youngest Chief Minister of the state, started his political innings from the inner city of Kannauj. Mulayam Singh Yadav himself had handed over his political legacy to him here. After being elected simultaneously from two places, he resigned from Kannauj and fielded his son Akhilesh Yadav on the vacant seat here. After winning the very first election with a record vote, Alikhesh Yadav won three consecutive elections from here.
SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav had won the 1998 Lok Sabha elections from Sambhal. In the elections held the very next year in 1999, he contested from Sambhal as well as Kannauj. After winning from both the seats, he had to resign from one of the seats. Kannauj workers resigned from here and advised to field their son Akhilesh Yadav on the vacant seat. Mulayam Singh liked this. He did the same. In this way, when by-elections were announced in the year 2000, Akhilesh Yadav entered the political arena for the first time.
Brajendra Narayan Saxena alias Guddu Saxena, who was the election coordinator of Akhilesh Yadav, says that at that time Akhilesh Yadav was about 27 years old. Despite being shy, Akhilesh camped in Kannauj to be successful in the by-elections. Every nook and corner of the Lok Sabha constituency was churned. His hard work paid off and despite tough competition from BSP’s Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, he managed to win the first election with a record number of votes.