BJP, SP throw weight behind five seats in Yadav land

The ruling party had bagged four— Etah, Firozabad, Etawah and Kannauj—while the main oppn party had won Mainpuri seat in 2019 polls

With the Lok Sabha election reaching Yadav land in the third phase in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has geared up its cadre to protect its citadel from saffron onslaught while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has readied its big fighters to breach the fort.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath at a public meeting in Firozabad on April 27. (Sourced)

Before the poll, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav fortified the party fort by filing nomination from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat.

The party has fielded his wife Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri considered pocket borough of the Yadav family while Akshay Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, is contesting from Firozabad seat considered a stronghold of the SP.

On the remaining two seats in the Yadav land, the party has fielded Devesh Shakya from Etah and Jitendra Dohre from Etawah reserved seat.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election among the five seats in the region, the BJP had bagged four— Etah, Firozabad, Etawah and Kannauj—while the SP had managed to win Mainpuri seat.

Of these five seats, Firozabad, Mainpuri and Etah will go to the polls in the third phase on May 7 while polling in Etawah and Kannauj will take place in the fourth phase on May 13.

However, in Firozabad, the BJP has replaced its sitting MP Chandrasen Jadon with Vishwadeep Singh.

U.P. tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh is contesting on a BJP ticket from Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.

To win all these five seats, the BJP has launched an extensive campaign in the area led by Union home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

State’s deputy chief ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are also on a whirlwind tour of the constituencies campaigning for party candidates.

Hordes of BJP ministers and other senior leaders are campaigning in the constituencies to knock down the SP fortification.

On Sunday, Amit Shah addressed a series of the rallies in Kasganj, Mainpuri and Etawah to mobilise the party cadre to retain the four seats and to put Mainpuri seat in party’s kitty as well.

He targeted SP chief Akhilesh Yadav over promoting dynasty in the distribution of tickets and lauded the construction of the Ram temple, alleging that the SP government had ordered firing on karsewaks in Ayodhya.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath addressed public meetings in Etawah and Mainpuri on Thursday. Again on Saturday he addressed rallies in Firozabad, Auraiya and Etawah. On Sunday, he campaigned in Etah as well as Budaun from where Aditya Yadav, the son of SP general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is contesting.

Yogi hit at the SP chief alleging that lawlessness prevailed in the state during his government. “To deceive the people, the SP is contesting election in alliance with Congress,” he said.

“The BJP plans to pin down the SP in its stronghold by launching a hectic campaign in the constituencies. The defeat of the Yadav family in the Lok Sabha election will pave way for consolidation of the BJP support base in the Yadav land,” said a BJP leader.

Party’s state unit president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said, “We have succeeded in sending a message to the voters that under the SP rule, the area remained neglected as the Yadav family’s priority is to promote the dynasty.”

To counter the challenge of the BJP, the SP has given momentum to its campaign. All members of the Yadav family—Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav are campaigning in the area.

Addressing public meetings in Etah and Kannauj on Saturday, Akhilesh called upon voters to exercise their franchise to oust the BJP from power and to protect the Constitution.

The rebellion of Shivpal Yadav in 2019 Lok Sabha election weakened the SP in its stronghold and the party lost Firozabad seat in a close contest with the BJP.

“With Shivpal on its side and campaigning for the party candidates, the SP hopes to regain the lost ground,” said an SP leader.

The OBC voters—Yadav, Lodh, Shakya, Saini, Kacchi, Baghel, Jat, Murao communities—as well as Dalits, Muslims and upper castes play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the candidates on the five seats.

The BSP has made the contest triangular on the five seats by fielding Shiv Prasad Yadav from Mainpuri, Mohammad Irfan from Etah, Chaudhary Bashir from Firozabad, Sarika Singh Baghel from Etawah and Imran Bin Zafar from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat. BSP chief Mayawati will address a public meeting in Mainpuri on May 2.