Union Minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani files her nomination for Lok Sabha elections, in Amethi, Monday, April 29, 2024. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is also seen.
Credit: PTI Photos
Lucknow: In an apparent bid to get the caste equations right and anticipating someone from the Gandhi family in the fray, the BJP has deployed Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav to campaign in favour of its nominee and union minister Smriti Irani to dent the 'Yadav' vote bank of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency.
Mohan Yadav, who accompanied Smriti Irani during her nomination on Monday, would be holding meetings in 'Yadav' dominated villages in the constituency, which would go to polls in the fifth phase of polling on May 20. Yadav had also accompanied the BJP candidate during the latter's nominations at Mainpuri a few days back.
'Yadavs', who numbered around 1.85 lakh in Amethi, were considered to be the core vote bank of the SP, which had an alliance with the Congress this time. Although the Congress has not yet declared its candidate from Amethi, sources in the grand old party said that senior party leader Rahul Gandhi could contest from the seat, which had been a Nehru-Gandhi bastion before Rahul lost to Smriti Irani in 2019 LS polls by over 50 thousand votes.
As part of its electoral strategy, the BJP government in the state made Girish Yadav the minister in-charge of Amethi district. Girish Yadav, state sports and youth welfare minister, was entrusted with the task of reaching out to the Yadav community leaders in the constituency and bringing them to the party fold.
''He (Girish Yadav) has been working among the Yadav community members for the past two years....he has been able to bring many senior leaders from the community to the party fold.....barely a few days back, several members of the community joined the BJP before Smriti Irani,'' said a local BJP leader in Amethi.
The leader said that the party did not want to leave anything to chance and was trying to get the caste equations right to ensure a smooth sailing for Smriti Irani. Smriti Irani had visited a famous Mutt in Ayodhya, which had large scale following in Amethi.
''The contest will be tough if Rahul Gandhi decides to contest from Amethi,'' he said, adding however that the saffron party would be looking to improve the victory margin of Smriti Irani.
The BSP has fielded Ravi Prakash Maurya, an OBC, from the seat, who is expected to make a dent into the BJP's OBC vote bank. Incidentally the OBCs formed around 21 per cent of the total electorate in Amethi.
Earlier in the day Smriti Irani, accompanied by Mohan Yadav and senior party leaders, filed her nomination papers from Amethi LS seat. She held a roadshow before reaching the Collectorate in which a large number of BJP workers took part.