The Aryavarth Express
Agency (LUCKNOW): The prestige of Samajwadi Party and its national President Akhilesh Yadav is at stake in crucial third phase polling on May 7 in 10 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh that are part of Yadav land. It is going to be testing time for CM Yogi Adityanath who is addressing public meetings in different constituencies to retain the hold of party which was witnessed in previous polls.
Similarly Samajwadi Party which is the main opposition party in state is facing tough challenge to ensure victories of various members of Akhilesh Yadav family including his wife Dimple. Akhilesh Yadav has mobilised all resources besides addressing public meetings to help party candidates to win seats.
During first two phases of polls in UP, the focus was on jatland which shifted to yadav land due to emergence of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) mainly yadavs, lodhs, and kachhi/shakya /Murao communities exerting influence as decisive factor. The combination of yadav-muslim is also deciding factor in these constituencies. The constituencies going to polls in third phase are Sambhal, Hathras, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Bareilly and Aonla.
It would be worth mentioning here that BJP clinched victory in seven out 10 Lok Sabha seats of this phase in 2014 and expanded to eight in 2019 polls.. It may be noted that Samajwadi Party had won in Sambhal and Mainpuri in 2019 and had also won Mainpuri, Badaun and Firozabad in 2014.
Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat is witnessing an interesting contest where Dimple Yadav wife of Akhilesh Yadav is SP candidate to reclaim legacy of her father-in-law late Mulayam Singh Yadav who had won five times to Lok Sabha from here.
Mainpuri a Yadav citadel and pocket burrow of Akhilesh Yadav family is now witnessing campaign of Dimple Yadav who is supported by her daughter Aditi who is studying abroad. Aditi is now working hard to ensure victory of her mother by a big margin. There is big attraction for Aditi’s campaign in local population. Dimple Yadav is facing BJP’s Jaiveer Singh Shaky and Dr Gulshan Singh Shakya.
The election in Badaun Lok Sabha is very crucial for SP which won the seat from 1996 to 2014. BJP won in 2019 when Sanghmitra Maurya daughter of Swami Prasad Maurya won from here. Now she has been replaced by Durvijay Shakya.
Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin brother Aditya Yadav who is son of powerful uncle Shivpal Yadav is contesting from this seat. Earlier Akhilesh Yadav announced the candidature of his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. But later on Shivpal Singh Yadav opted to leave to pave way for his son.
Shivpal Yadav succeeded in winning over the support of estranged local muslim leader and former MP Saleem Sherwani who himself was claimant for party ticket.
Another important election for Akhilesh Yadav family is in Firozabad where his cousin Akshay who is son of uncle and powerful SP leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav. is facing Dr Chandra Sen Jadon of BJP. Akshay had earlier been MP from this seat. Raj Babbar had once defeated Dimple Yadav from this constituency.
In Bareilly BJP has replaced it’s eight time MP Santosh Gangwar who continuously won from 1996 to 2019 barring 2009 when Praveen Singh Aon of Congress won with thin margin. Now BJP has brought Chatrapal Singh Gangwar to face Praveen Singh Aron from INDIA bloc.
Another key constituency is Etah which BJP won six times since 1989.In between Samajwadi Party also won twice. In 2009 former chief minister Kalyan Singh won as independent candidate with support from SP. BJP’s Rajveer Singh, Son of Kalyan Singh, won this seat in 2014 and 2019.This time he is facing challenge from Devesh Shakya from SP.
City of Taj – Agra is also witnessing key contest in sitting MP and union Minister SP Singh Baghel of BJP, Suresh Chandra Kardam of SP and Pooja Amrohi of BSP. The BJP has won from Agra reserved constituency five times since 1991.Three times in a row since 2009.
Union Minister for Home and powerful BJP leader Amit Shah charged Akhilesh Yadav of persuing dynasty politics while addressing public meeting in Mainpuri for party candidate. Amit Shah listed the names of family members of Akhilesh Yadav contesting from various constituencies in Yadav land and asked why other than family could not be considered to contest. (IPA Service)
By Pradeep Kapoor
