UP: Samajwadi Party chief’s cousin all set to be elected unopposed as zila panchayat chairman of Etawah

KANPUR: Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s nephew and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin, Abhishek Yadav alias Anshul, is all set to be elected unopposed in an election to the post of zila panchayat chairman of Etawah.
After the filing of nomination papers by Abhishek on Saturday, the party claimed that as no other candidate had filed nomination for the post of zila panchayat chairman of Etawah, they are confident of Abhishek’s election unopposed.
Soon after the results of DDC election, Abhishek had been declared as zila panchayat chairman candidate from Etawah recently.
Abhishek is son of Mulayam’s younger brother Rajpal Yadav. His mother Prem Lata had also represented the zila panchayat chairperson of Etawah. In 2015, Abhishek was elected unopposed for the post of zila panchayat chairperson of Etawah.
“After Abhishek had won district development council (DDC) member from Saifai ward II in Etawah recently, a proposal in this connection was mooted in the meeting of district office-bearers. Later, the party high command gave its final nod in this regard,” said district president of the party Gopal Yadav.
There are a total 24 DDC members in Etawah out of which 18 are from SP and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia.
The seat has remained with the Yadav family since the past 20 years.
Mulayam’s cousin and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav also held this seat in the past.
Abhishek in the recently concluded Panchayat elections had defeated his nearest rival and BJP backed candidate Avneesh Yadav with a margin of 16,254 votes. While Abhishek had secured 22610 votes, Avneesh 6,356 votes.
Abhishek, a management graduate, had worked for the party in the last several assembly and Lok Sabha elections.