Akhilesh's Move: SP's Meera Yadav takes aim at BJP's VD Sharma’s stronghold in Khajuraho

The Samajwadi Party announced on Monday its decision to replace Mohan Yadav with former MLA Meera Deep Narayan Yadav as its candidate for the Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.

 

Meera Yadav will now contend against Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party chief and incumbent MP VD Sharma. Elections for the seat, the sole constituency allotted to the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP in the state under an agreement with the Congress, are scheduled for April 26.

 

SP national spokesperson Yash Bhartiya stated, "The change was made to field a strong and locally influential candidate against the BJP," in a phone conversation with PTI.

 

In the 2019 elections, VD Sharma secured victory from Khajuraho with a substantial margin of over 4.5 lakh votes.

 

Meera Yadav previously served as the SP MLA from the Niwari assembly constituency, which falls within the Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, in 2008. Her husband, Deep Narayan Yadav, represented Garautha in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, as an SP MLA in 2007 and 2012. Garautha shares a border with Niwari district in Madhya Pradesh. Deep Yadav also holds the position of MP SP chief.

 

Two days ago, the SP had announced the candidacy of Manoj Yadav, originally from Shikohabad in Uttar Pradesh but now residing in Madhya Pradesh.