LUCKNOW: The Samajawadi Party has apparently got into poll mode pulling up socks for 2019 general elections. This was reflected by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who expressed his desire to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Kannauj parliamentary constituency and claimed here on Monday that his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav would contest from Mainpuri seat.
At present, while Kannauj seat is held by his wife Dimple, Manipuri is represented in Lok Sbaha by Akhilesh’s nephew Taj Pratap Yadav ‘Teju’. Both the seats are considered to be Samajwadis’ bastion “I will like to contest from Kannauj,” said Akhilesh while interacting with media persons during an event organised to pay tributes to veteran socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra on his death anniversary here on Monday. However, the SP chief said that last decision would be taken by the party. Akhilesh, in September last year, had made it clear that his wife Dimple would not be contesting the upcoming parliamentary election.
The SP chief has represented Kannauj in Lok Sabha thrice before 2012 when he took over as UP CM and became member of UP Vidhan Parishad (State Council). Noatbly, Akhilesh’s five year term in Council will expire on March 5, 2018.
As per the political experts, Kannauj would not be a cake walk for the SP chief especially after party’s performance in the 2017 Assembly elections when party lost two of three assembly constituencies of Kannauj to the BJP. It could retain only Kannauj city in its kitty with a narrow margin of 2,000 votes. However, in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Dimple had won Kannauj defeating her nearest BJP rival by 20,000 votes. However, in the urbal local body polls too, SP’s performance in Kannauj and entire Yadav belt of Etawah, Mainpuri, Ferozabad was dismal.
In response to another query, Akhilesh made it clear that his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav would contest from Mainpuri parliamentary constituency, an SP stronghold. However, he was non-committal on the fate of present incumbent of Mainpuri seat Taj Pratap Yadav ‘Teju’ , who is the grandson of Mulayam’s elder brother Ratan Singh Yadav. In fact, Mulayam had contested 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Azamgrah and Mainpuri both. He retained Azamgarh and vacated Manipuri where Tej Pratap was fielded and he won the seat in the bypoll.
Interestingly, Akhilesh chose the occasion to greet uncle Shivpal on his birthday on Monday through the media. Shivpal, Mulayam’s younger brother and SP MLA from Jaswantnagar, was conspicuous by his absence in the event which was attended by Mulayam. As the political circles have it, after an year-long battle of nerves over supremacy with nephew Akhilesh, Shivpal has
made a respectable distant with elder brother Mulayam also as he feels that the SP patriarch, with whom he stood firmly during the intense family feud, has sided with son Akhilesh leaving him (Shivpal) isolated in the party and the family as well. Standing marginalised in the organisation, Shivpal has expressed his intentions of making a major announcement close to 2019 Lok Sabha election regarding his future political course.