Akhilesh Yadav to contest Kannauj LS seat despite nephew's nomination

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has reversed course on his party's candidate selection for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, announcing himself as a contender just 48 hours after nominating his nephew, Tej Pratap Yadav, for the same position.

 

The party's official account on social media platform X confirmed that Akhilesh Yadav intends to file his nomination papers in Kannauj at noon on Thursday.

 

Reportedly, there was discontent among the Samajwadi Party's grassroots supporters regarding Tej Pratap's candidacy, with a preference for the party chief to contest the seat.

 

Akhilesh Yadav has a history with the Kannauj constituency, having secured victories in the 2000 by-election, as well as the general elections of 2004 and 2009. Subsequently, his wife, Dimple Yadav, triumphed in the 2012 by-election and the 2014 general elections, but lost the seat to the BJP in 2019.

 

Party insiders revealed that initially, Akhilesh Yadav had opted out of the electoral race to focus on campaign efforts. Notably, Tej Pratap Yadav previously served as the Member of Parliament for Mainpuri.