Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said he will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Kannauj, PTI reported. He added that his father and the party’s founder, Mulayam Singh Yadav, will contest from Mainpuri constituency.
The Samajwadi Party chief made the announcement at the party headquarters in Lucknow. The Kanauj constituency is currently represented by his wife Dimple Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav told party workers that he had taken the decision after his political rivals accused the party of indulging in nepotism.
When asked to elaborate on the party’s plans to ally with other political outfits, Akhilesh Yadav said, “With whosoever our alliance will take place, the party workers will ensure our victory and defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party. This time, they will not get support of the people as they stand exposed. They only paid lip service to the people and did nothing on ground.”
In May, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had said that an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was on the cards. The Bahujan Samaj Party had extended support to Samajwadi Party candidates in bye-elections to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in March, leading to the BJP’s defeat.
On June 10, Akhilesh Yadav had said his party was willing to sacrifice a few seats to continue its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party and ensure the Bharatiya Janata Party’s defeat in Uttar Pradesh.
The Lok Sabha elections are due in April or May 2019.
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