Akhilesh Yadav likely to contest Uttar Pradesh polls, may opt for Azamgarh

In his first plunge in the state's electoral battlefield, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is likely to contest the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the sources in the SP, Akhilesh, who currently represents Azamgarh in the Lok Sabha, may contest from Gopalpur assembly seat in Azamgarh district in the eastern region of the state.

Although Akhilesh remained evasive on the seat from where he might contest, sources in his party confided that he would, in all probability, contest from the 'poorvanchal' (eastern) region of UP.

"UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath is contesting from Gorakhpur, which is also in the poorvanchal region.....Akhilesh's presence in the poorvanchal will give a positive message to our party workers and supporters," said a senior SP leader while speaking to DH on Wednesday.

Gopalpur was considered to be a 'safe' seat for the SP as the party had won it four times in the past five assembly polls. In 2017 assembly elections also, the seat had gone in the kitty of the SP. SP nominee Nafees Ahmed had defeated the BJP candidate by around 15,000 votes.

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SP sources said that the party was in consultation with the district leaders to take a final decision in this regard.

Earlier, Akhilesh had said that he would contest the polls if his party asked him to. SP leaders said that he would not have chosen to take the plunge in the state polls if Adityanath had not decided to contest the elections.

Akhilesh had taken the legislative council route and had resigned from the Kannauj LS seat when he became the chief minister of the state after 2012 assembly polls. His wife Dimple Yadav was later elected unopposed from Kannauj seat.

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