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Akhilesh Yadav files nomination for his first assembly polls
Uttar Pradesh assembly polls: After filing his papers for the Karhal seat in Mainpuri, Akhilesh Yadav says this nomination is a mission to foster positive politics and progressive thinking
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls from Karhal constituency in Mainpuri district. This is the first time that the four-time Member of Parliament (MP) will contest an assembly seat.
Akhilesh Yadav called his nomination “a mission” while on board his Vijay Rath on way to filing his papers.
Exuding confidence soon after filing the nomination at the Mainpuri collectorate, Akhilesh Yadav said that he doesn’t intend to campaign for his election.
“I am leaving my the election from the seat to the party leaders and the people in the constituency. I have to go to many places across the state. If I get an opportunity, I will try to come here to campaign,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
When asked whether the BJP may field his sister-in-law Aparna Yadav for the seat, Akhilesh Yadav said: “Whosoever contests (against me) will face defeat.”
Shortly after his statement, Agra MP and Union minister of state SP Singh Baghel filed his nomination for the Karhal seat as a BJP candidate.
Speaking to the media after his nomination, Akhilesh Yadav said: “In this election in the state, people will reject negative politics and embrace progressive, positive politics.”
AkhileshYadav had reached his ancestral village Saifai in Etawah on Sunday evening and left the village at 11am on Monday for the Mainpuri collectorate, about 30 km away.
He filed his nomination around noon.
“The leaders have assured me there is no need for me to come here, but (they have said) do come after the victory,” Akhilesh Yadav said when asked how he intends to campaign for himself in the assembly polls.
On being asked why he decided to contest the assembly polls himself instead of entering the UP legislature through the legislative council, he said: “I intended to contest the election before the Baba Mukhya Mantri and get ahead.”
“This nomination is a ‘mission’ because this election of UP will write the history of the next century of the state and the country. Let’s take part in this movement of positive politics with progressive thinking... Defeat negative politics, remove it too!! Jai Hind!!!” the SP chief said on Twitter. Akhilesh Yadav is the sitting Azamgarh MP.
The Samajwadi Party had made the announcement that Akhilesh Yadav will contest the upcoming assembly polls from Karhal shortly after the BJP fielded chief minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur urban, his stronghold.
Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav have been MPs, but they have never contested assembly polls before. Both took the Vidhan Parishad route to become members of the UP legislature when they took office as chief ministers.
Karhal is scheduled to go to the polls on February 20 in the third phase of the seven-phase UP assembly polls.
It is a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party since 1993, with only one exception. In the 2002 assembly polls, the seat went to the BJP.
Sobaran Singh Yadav (of the Samajwadi Party) is the sitting MLA from Karhal. He was with the BJP when he won the seat in 2002. Since 2007, he has been contesting on the SP ticket. Mainpuri, in which the Karhal assembly segment falls, is SP chief patron Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Lok Sabha constituency.
Soon after leaving the Mainpuri collectorate, Akhilesh tweeted a picture of his nomination filing and wrote: “Nomination process done...one more step towards accomplishing Mission 2022...Baaees main bicycle (bicycle in 2022).” Bicycle is the SP election symbol.
