Express News Service
LUCKNOW: After facing defeat with a bigger margin than 2022 assembly polls in Gola Gokarannath in Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP at the hands of ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party is now gearing up to save two crucial seats Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency held by late party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rampur (Sadar) assembly segment represented by party veteran Azam Khan. Both the seats will go to poll on December 5.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav called a meeting of senior party leaders to chalk out a strategy for the poll campaigns for the upcoming bypoll. According to sources, prior to Monday’s meeting, Akhilesh held a series of meetings on Sunday and Saturday with local leaders of Mainpuri to arrive at a consensus over the candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.
The discussion, according to sources, revolved around “concern” that a family member should be fielded who could take the legacy of ‘Netaji’ forward. “The names of SP chief’s wife and former MP Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav and his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav cropped up during the discussion as front-runners who could be entrusted with the responsibility of Mainpuri,” said a senior SP leader. In Rampur, the decision on candidate will be taken after taking Azam Khan into confidence and giving preference to his choice of candidate in his stronghold, added sources.
The SP is treading cautiously after consecutive defeats in last three by-polls during which SP chief kept himself away from campaigning while resting his confidence on party workers and local leaders. He, however, drew brickbats for his strategy after losing both Rampur and Azamgarh LS seats to the BJP in June.
“The party, at present, seems cagey about the previous by-poll defeats in its bastions — Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha at the hands of ruling BJP, in June this year,” says Prof AK Mishra, a prominent political scientist.
LUCKNOW: After facing defeat with a bigger margin than 2022 assembly polls in Gola Gokarannath in Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP at the hands of ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party is now gearing up to save two crucial seats Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency held by late party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rampur (Sadar) assembly segment represented by party veteran Azam Khan. Both the seats will go to poll on December 5.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav called a meeting of senior party leaders to chalk out a strategy for the poll campaigns for the upcoming bypoll. According to sources, prior to Monday’s meeting, Akhilesh held a series of meetings on Sunday and Saturday with local leaders of Mainpuri to arrive at a consensus over the candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.
The discussion, according to sources, revolved around “concern” that a family member should be fielded who could take the legacy of ‘Netaji’ forward. “The names of SP chief’s wife and former MP Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s cousin Dharmendra Yadav and his nephew Tej Pratap Yadav cropped up during the discussion as front-runners who could be entrusted with the responsibility of Mainpuri,” said a senior SP leader. In Rampur, the decision on candidate will be taken after taking Azam Khan into confidence and giving preference to his choice of candidate in his stronghold, added sources.
The SP is treading cautiously after consecutive defeats in last three by-polls during which SP chief kept himself away from campaigning while resting his confidence on party workers and local leaders. He, however, drew brickbats for his strategy after losing both Rampur and Azamgarh LS seats to the BJP in June.
“The party, at present, seems cagey about the previous by-poll defeats in its bastions — Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha at the hands of ruling BJP, in June this year,” says Prof AK Mishra, a prominent political scientist.
