New Delhi: Mindful of the fact that sharp polarisation is expected in Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency from where Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is contesting besides Mainpuri seat, the whole Yadav clan along with full force of the party have descended there. The SP is apparently sensing that Azamgarh will not be a cakewalk for Mr Yadav and hence is not taking any chance to wrest the seat back from the BJP.
“Azamgarh is just 90 km away from Varanasi from where BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi is contesting. What is happening there is also affecting Azamgarh. It is clearly not a cakewalk for the SP chief," said a party functionary.
BJP’s Ramakant Yadav had won from Azamgarh in 2009, while he had been victorious from here in 2004 as the nominee of the BSP and in 1999 as an SP candidate.
The nephew of the SP chief and MP from Badayun Dharmendra Yadav is already camping in Azamgarh. “Almost all SP leaders and workers from Mainpuri and Itawa districts are camping in Azamgarh. The SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav will soon be there. The SP chief's brother and UP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav too will be there shortly,” added the Samajwadi Party functionary.
According to sources, the move of Mulayam Singh Yadav to contest to Azamgarh, was to win the seat to ensure electoral debut of his youngest son Prateek in future and also to counter Mr Modi’s impact in eastern UP. However, sources said, Prateek Yadav has been asked not to come to Azamgarh till elections.
