SP President Akhilesh Yadav.
– Photo: ANI
Expansion
SP President Akhilesh Yadav has finally decided to contest himself to regain the lost seat of Kannauj. The India camp is confident that it will get 3 to 4 seats in the first phase. To repeat this possible success in the next stages and to maintain the enthusiasm, Akhilesh Yadav decided to field him. At the same time, the local organization had made it clear after meeting Akhilesh that if Tej Pratap Yadav contests, he will not get as much support as Akhilesh Yadav can get as a candidate.
In fact, on Monday itself, former Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Yadav was made the candidate for Kannauj seat. However, SP workers had already demanded that Akhilesh Yadav should contest elections from Kannauj. On Tuesday, some workers and leaders met Akhilesh in Lucknow and requested him to contest the elections. While talking to Amar Ujala on Tuesday evening, Akhilesh Yadav had given clear indications of contesting the elections himself. Amar Ujala had given the news of Akhilesh Yadav’s entry from Kannauj in its Wednesday issue itself.
It is said that there was uproar in Kannauj on Monday with the announcement of Tej Pratap’s name. Since the announcement of Tej Pratap’s candidature, local SP workers were opposing this decision. A delegation of SP leaders from Kannauj met Akhilesh Yadav and informed him about the entire situation.
It was also told that SP workers at the local level are unhappy with Tej Pratap’s candidature and they say that the people there do not even know Tej Pratap. Local leaders do not want to let the party’s position weaken in Kannauj under any circumstances. If Akhilesh himself does not contest, people will become disillusioned with the party. Let us tell you here that Samajwadi Party has dominated the Kannauj seat for a long time.
Akhilesh Yadav was elected MP for the first time in the by-election held on Kannauj seat in 2000. After that he was MP from the same seat in 2004 and 2009 also. Due to his resignation from the Lok Sabha after becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh’s wife Dimple was elected unopposed in the by-election held on Kannauj seat in 2012. Dimple had also won from the same seat in the 2014 general elections, but in the 2019 elections she lost to BJP’s Subrata Pathak.
A party leader, requesting anonymity, while explaining the reason for changing the ticket in Kannauj within 48 hours, said that the India alliance is fighting very well. In such a situation, each seat is very important. This is the reason why Akhilesh Yadav decided to field himself from Kannauj. This will increase the enthusiasm of other candidates and will ensure the victory of Indian candidates.