Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav could contest the Assembly polls from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh, sources have informed India TV.
Currently, Akhilesh Yadav is a member of the Lok Sabha. He represents the Azamgarh seat in the Lower House of the Parliament. He had won the parliamentary election from here in 2019, defeating actor-turned-politician Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua, who contested as a BJP contestant.
"I will contest elections only after taking permission from the people of Azamgarh," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow when asked whether he will contest Assembly polls.
Notably, this would be Akhilesh's first election in the state. He has never contested a state election. He was a member of the Legislative Council during his tenure as the Chief Minister from 2012 to 2017.
Akhilesh's decision to enter the poll fray came in the backdrop of the pressure on the Samajwadi Party chief after the BJP announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will contest the polls. The saffron party has fielded him from Gorakhpur, considered to be his stronghold. This will also be the first time when Adityanath will contest a state election.
Gorakhpur which falls in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh has been the stronghold of the saffron party for long. Adityanath won parliamentary elections for a record five terms since 1998 from Gorakhpur. He had to resign in 2017 after he was made the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was then elected to the Legislative Council.
According to the Opinion Poll by Ground Zero Research, Adityanath is set to register a big win from Gorakhpur.
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