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Azamgarh bypoll: Akhilesh decision to miss campaign draws mixed response in SP turf
Azamgarh is a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party and from where party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected in 2014. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, SP chief Akhilesh won from here. After winning as an MLA in 2022, Akhilesh resigned as Azamgarh MP.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav not campaigning for party candidate Dharmendra Yadav in Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypolls scheduled for Thursday has become a hot political topic among people there.
That’s because, Azamgarh is a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party and from where party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was elected in 2014. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, SP chief Akhilesh won from here. After winning as an MLA in 2022, Akhilesh resigned as Azamgarh MP.
“Samajwadi Party chief not campaigning in Azamgarh is a topic of discussion. Since it is a SP bastion, the party chief was expected to campaign here in this crucial bypoll,” said Santosh Yadav, a resident of Sathyaon in Azamgarh.
Indradev Chauhan, a resident of Shahgarh village also said he expected SP chief to campaign in Azamgarh. “The SP has 10 MLAs from Azamgarh and the party is in strong position here. Had the SP chief paid a visit here, it would have further strengthened the party,” he added.
Yadvendra Durgesh Kumar, a resident of Jamalpur village, however felt that absence of the SP chief won’t make any difference in the bypolls. “As chief minister of UP from 2012 to 2017, Akhilesh Yadav did a lot for development of Azamgarh. People know this and will support him,” he said.
Nadeem Khan, a resident of Shahgarh said that Akhilesh’s campaign would have strengthened the party further.
“Absence of the SP chief during poll campaigning gave an issue to his political opponents,” said a SP supporter and added that it will not have any effect on the party.
“People of Azamgarh have an emotional attachment with Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav is cousin of SP chief. People of Azamgarh campaigned for Dharmendra Yadav. That is why, the SP national president Akhilesh Yadav didn’t come to Azamgarh for canvassing,” SP’s Azamgarh district unit general secretary Hariprasad Dubey said.
“Political opponents of the SP are trying to make an issue out of a non-issue,” he added.
