Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav may not contest Lok Sabha polls

The BSP and SP may have come together for the 2019 polls, but the leaders of the two parties are in two minds as to whether they should themselves contest or not.

The hectic campaign schedule, which will leave them with little time to canvass for themselves, is purportedly why Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav are rethinking their candidature.

Akhilesh had earlier shared with TOI his plan to contest from Kannauj in place of his wife and sitting MP Dimple Yadav. But on International Women's Day, Dimple was named SP candidate from Kannauj. Thereafter, senior SP functionaries dropped broad hints that Akhilesh may contest the polls from Azamgarh, now occupied by his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"Of late, party strategists suggested he should not confine himself to any seat during polls as he will be preoccupied with campaigning for Mulayam, Dimple and other party candidates," said a senior party leader.

In BSP, senior leaders said earlier there were plans that Mayawati may contest from Nagina or Ambedkarnagar, but the party has now decided to field candidates in a number of states and Mayawati will visit those constituencies for campaigning. In such a scenario, it would be difficult for her to join the fray herself.

Apart from 11 joint rallies scheduled for Mayawati, she will be on a whistle-stop tour of states and address close to 30 rallies for BSP across India. On April 3 and 4, the BSP chief will make her southern sojourn, where she has inked electoral pacts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.