‘Even Modi will lose if he contests from Karhal’: Villagers pitch for Akhilesh

• Ahead of the VVIP Karhal battle, as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP's SP Singh Baghel gear up for a nail-biting contest, Hindustan Times' correspondent Tarun visits the village. Falling under Mulayam Singh Yadav's stronghold in Mainpuri, Karhal will vote in the third phase on February 20. Union Minister SP Singh Baghel has now claimed that he will demolish the Yadav fortress when the counting takes place on March 10 and BJP will emerge victorious in the state. But the caste arithmetic in Karhal looks to be tilted in Alkhilesh's favour as the Samajwadi Party is banking on the Yadav votes from the seat. Many villagers in Karhal believe that the Akhilesh wave will beat the saffron surge in Uttar Pradesh. Some even went to the extent of saying that even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi contests from Karhal, he will lose to Akhilesh Yadav. Watch for more details.