Lok Sabha elections 2019: In Firozabad, all eyes on chacha-bhatija contest

The city of bangles, Firozabad, which goes to polls in the third phase on April 23, is all set to witness a keen contest between ‘chacha’ and ‘bhatija’.

Akshay Yadav, sitting MP from the Samajwadi Party, filed his nomination in this city on Friday while his ‘chacha’ (uncle) Shivpal Yadav, president of the newly formed Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), will file papers on Saturday.

Akshay, son of SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, had won the Lok Sabha election in 2014 despite the ‘Modi wave’ sweeping across the nation. Interestingly, BJP is yet to declare its candidate for Firozabad despite the nomination process already on. Shivpal Yadav had surprised many by deciding to contest from Firozabad and made a formal announcement in this regard at a rally in the bangle city last month. This paved the way for a ‘chacha-bhatija’ contest in Firozabad.

Though supporters of ‘chacha’ and ‘bhatija’ are engaged in a war of words with their claims and counter claims, both these leaders are focusing more on targeting the BJP and avoiding taking names of each other.

SP candidate Akshay Yadav said: “I am contesting my election and let others take care of their campaign.” He also said it was the job of elders to bless youngsters.

Supporters of Akshay opine there will be no division of votes among loyalists of the Saifai family with both uncle and nephew in the fray. “Voters in Firozabad are fed up of BJP rule and are all set to throw them out of power. The SP has emerged as the custodian of poor and our party candidate faces no challenge because voters in Firozabad are clear in their choice for the SP. As such, there would be no division of votes here,” said Avnindra Yadav, a loyalist of Akshay Yadav in Firozabad.

Speaking to media, PSP president Shivpal Yadav also condemned the BJP for “fooling the masses” on the pretext of false promises of ‘achhe din’. “Tall claims were made about doubling the income of farmers, but they suffered under BJP rule,” said the senior Yadav.

“The victory journey of Shivpal Yadav will begin with the filing of nomination on Saturday. Voters in Firozabad have made up their mind for a change,” claimed Nitin Kohli of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party.

Meanwhile, SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav also addressed a public meeting in Firozabad on Friday. As a fallout of a dispute within the SP, former minister in state cabinet Shivpal Singh Yadav moved out of the party and constituted his own outfit.

First Published: Mar 30, 2019 00:38 IST