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UP polls: BJP names Union minister & ex-Mulayam aide SP Baghel against Akhilesh Yadav
Baghel, now a Union minister of state, had entered politics as president of the Mulayam Youth brigade and went on to win thrice as Samajwadi party MP from the now-merged Jalesar seat.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Union minister and party's Agra MP from the backward community SP Singh Baghel as its candidate against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal Assembly segment in Mainpuri.
Earlier on Monday, Akhilesh filed his nomination for the election at the Mainpuri district collectorate.
Baghel had entered politics as president of the Mulayam Youth brigade and went on to win thrice as Samajwadi party MP from the now-merged Jalesar seat, (now non existing merged in Etah).
He is now minister of state for law and justice in the Union Cabinet. He has also headed the BJP's national OBC (Other Backward Community) morcha between 2015 and 2016.
Baghel was a close confidant of SP patrol Mulayam Singh Yadav and had twice contested against his family members, including Dimple (Akhilesh's wife) and Akshay Yadav, and had lost on both occasions.
Also read | ‘This nomination is a mission’, tweets Akhilesh as he heads to Karhal
Meanwhile, Akhilesh, after filing his papers, said "I am leaving my election from the seat on SP leaders and people of the constituency. I have to go to many places across the state. If I get an opportunity, I will try to come here to campaig."
