Akhilesh won’t contest, fields namesake from Mubarakpur

The SP chief’s namesake has been associated with the party for about two decades. The namesake first met Akhilesh SP national president Akhilesh Yadav in 2009 during his visit to Azamgarh. He was appointed district unit president around a year after.

Though Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav will not contest any seat, he has fielded his namesake from Mubarakpur assembly constituency in Azamgarh where the party won nine seats in 2012.

Akhilesh Yadav and his namesake (HT File Photo)

The BSP won the Mubarakpur seat five years ago. Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav represents Azamgarh in the Lok Sabha.

The SP chief’s namesake has been associated with the party for about two decades. The namesake first met Akhilesh SP National president Akhilesh Yadav in 2009 during his visit to Azamgarh. He was appointed district unit president around a year after.

In 2012, the namesake was declared the SP candidate from Mubarakpur. He polled 41,562 votes and lost to the BSP’s Shah Alam aka Guddu Jamali who secured 50,128 votes.

“The party has given me an opportunity again to contest the polls. I am thankful to Akhilesh and netaji (Mulayam). This is a very crucial election for me,” the namesake told HT on phone.

The party’s district unit president Hawaldar Yadav said, “Akhilesh is a good candidate. He contested the last assembly polls well and ended second. Mubarakpur is crucial for the party.”

Atraulia, Gopalpur, Sagri, Azamgarh, Nizamabad, Phoolpur Pawai, Didarganj, Lalganj (SC) and Mehnagar (SC) are other seats here.