Akhilesh Facing Big Challenge To Defend Mainpuri Lok Sabha Seat In Bypoll

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav is facing biggest challenge to defend Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat lying vacant after the demise of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav who recently passed away. Taking this challenge seriously Akhilesh Yadav decided to field his wife Dimple Yadav to face the by-election scheduled for December 5. Akhilesh is aware that the fate of Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-election will also impact the course of Samajwadi Party in crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav is under tremendous pressure to retain Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat which had always been won by his party. More so, the SP supremo was embarrassed when he could not protect his own Lok Sabha seat in by-election held few months back. It was a great humiliation for Akhilesh Yadav and another important leader of party Mohd Azam Khan when they could not protect their seats in Azamgarh and Rampur respectively.

Akhilesh Yadav was blamed by party leaders as well as political commentators for gifting these two seats to BJP as he failed to campaign for party candidates. This time Akhilesh Yadav is very serious about sentiments of the family and party leaders involved in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat from where founder of Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadav won in 2014 with the margin of over 90,OOO votes.

The caste combination of Yadav and Muslim in Mainpuri is enough to ensure victory of Samajwadi Party. But on the other hand BJP appears to be serious in winning the seat and does not want to leave any chance.

With the heavy presence of Shakya backwards in this Lok Sabha constituency ,Akhilesh Yadav appointed former MLA Alok Shakya as district president of party two days before announcement of Dimple Yadav as party candidate. It would be worth mentioning here that of five assembly segments of Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency, BJP won Mainpuri and Bhogaon while Samajwadi Party won Kisni, Karhal and Jaswantnagar.

It may be mentioned that Mainpuri has been with Samajwadi Party since 1996 from where Mulayam Singh won four times while other family members Balram Singh Yadav, Tej Pratap and Dharmendra Yadav one term each.

BJP is ready to give tough fight in Mainpuri where it’s candidate Prem Singh Shakya put up brave fight by getting 44 per cent votes as compared to 52 per cent votes polled by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Now all eyes are on Shivpal Yadav who is estranged uncle of Akhilesh Yadav and sitting MLA from Jaswantnagar assembly segment of Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. If Shivpal Yadav decides to support Dimple Yadav, then it would be very easy for Samajwadi Party to retain the seat with help of sympathy factor for Mulayam Singh Yadav. (IPA Service)