Lok Sabha 2019 polls: Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to contest from wife's constituency Kannauj; Mulayam from Mainpuri

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is all set to contest from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Kannuaj is presently represented by Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav will contest from Mainpuri. Akhilesh made the announcement at a meeting of SP workers at the party headquarters in Lucknow.

He said: “I will contest from Kannauj while Netaji (Mulayam) will contest from Mainpuri.”

To a question related to alliance and seat-sharing, he said, “With whosoever, our alliance will take place, the party workers will ensure our victory and defeat of the BJP. This time, they will not get the support of the people as they stand exposed. They only paid lip service to the people and did nothing on the ground.”

Akhilesh also said that the oppositions have charged the SP with ‘pariwarwad’ (nepotism) due to which his wife Dimple Yadav will not contest the election this time.

Akhilesh Yadav's SP and Mayawati's BSP collided for Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats and together defeated BJP, carrying forward the alliance. In May, BSP chief Mayawati had said that an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was on the cards.

Interestingly, Yadav made a shocking statement on June 10 and said that SP 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.