The Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced that its president, Akhilesh Yadav, will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Kannauj constituency in Uttar Pradesh. This announcement marks a surprising reversal from the party’s earlier decision to field Tej Pratap Yadav, the son of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, in the same constituency.
Akhilesh Yadav’s decision to enter the electoral fray himself has been attributed to purported discontent among SP cadres regarding Tej Pratap’s candidature. Sources within the party have indicated that many cadres expressed a preference for the party chief to contest the seat himself.
Akhilesh Yadav has a long history with the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat, having won it in a by-election in 2000 and subsequently in the 2004 and 2009 general elections. His wife, Dimple Yadav, also tasted success in the constituency, winning the seat in the 2012 by-election and retaining it in 2014. However, she faced defeat against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the 2019 general elections.
Initially, Akhilesh Yadav had opted out of contesting the elections to focus on campaigning for the party. Tej Pratap Yadav, who was previously the MP from Mainpuri, was nominated in his place. However, the recent turn of events sees Akhilesh Yadav himself stepping into the electoral fray for Kannauj, altering the political dynamics in the region.
The SP is hoping to regain its footing in Uttar Pradesh after suffering a defeat in the 2017 assembly elections. The party is banking on Akhilesh Yadav’s popularity and his track record of development during his tenure as the state’s chief minister from 2012 to 2017.
The BJP, on the other hand, is looking to retain its dominance in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha. The party is fielding Union Minister Smriti Irani against Akhilesh Yadav in Kannauj.
The Kannauj Lok Sabha seat is considered to be a high-profile constituency, and the contest between Akhilesh Yadav and Smriti Irani is likely to be closely watched.
