PUTTING a spoke within the Samajwadi Celebration’s well-laid plans for the approaching Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll, the BJP Tuesday introduced Raghuraj Singh Shakya as its candidate. A former SP MP, Shakya was a political protege of the late SP founder-leader and Mainpuri MP Mulayam Singh Yadav. He’s additionally thought of near Mulayam’s brother Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Whereas that is set to separate the Yadav votes within the seat that had been earlier anticipated to go fully to SP candidate Dimple Yadav, Shakya might also get the backing of supporters of the ruling BJP, in addition to of voters belonging to the Shakya group, who’re in substantial numbers in Mainpuri.
Having stored relations within the background throughout the 2022 Meeting elections, SP president Akhilesh Yadav had introduced in spouse Dimple, the previous MP from Kannauj, for the bypoll, in order to take no possibilities within the seat thought of Mulayam’s bastion and gained by him 5 instances (2019, 2014, 2009, 2004 and 1996). His demise necessitated the bypoll, to be held on December 5, and Akhilesh has been invoking Mulayam’s legacy to attraction to voters.
Within the wake of Mulayam’s demise, Akhilesh and Shivpal had been seen as making an effort to bury their hatchet, and inching nearer. Now, the SP nomination to Dimple from Mainpuri, which Shivpal was reportedly eyeing, and ticket to Shakya by the BJP, have put paid to that. Whereas Shivpal is the sitting MLA from Jaswantnagar, attributable to its affiliation with Mulayam, Mainpuri holds a particular place within the SP’s politics.
Shakya has been twice elected as an SP MP – in 1999 and 2004, each instances from Yadav-dominated Etawah. He had sided with Shivpal when the feud within the Yadav household began in 2016 and the get together cut up into two factions. When he floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Celebration (PSP-Lohia) in 2018, Shivpal had appointed Shakya as its UP normal secretary and later elevated him as vice-president.
A PSP-L chief stated that forward of the current 2022 Meeting elections, Shakya had figured within the talks between Shivpal and Akhilesh for a seat association. “Nevertheless, after Akhilesh agreed to again solely Shivpal (who contested on the SP image), in February, Shakya joined the BJP,” the chief stated, including that with Shakya seen as nonetheless near Shivpal, his candidature was set to create a problem for the SP.
The BJP has a good help base within the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. Of the 5 Meeting segments falling throughout the constituency – Mainpuri, Bhongaon, Kishani, Karhal and Jaswantnagar – the SP gained three and the BJP two within the current Meeting elections. Of the three SP winners, one was Akhilesh from Karhal, and one other Shivpal from Jaswantnagar.
Mainpuri’s group clever break-up consists of greater than 5 lakh Yadavs, round 3.5 lakh Shakyas (an OBC sub-class), different OBC teams reminiscent of Saini, Maurya, Lodh, 2 lakh-odd Dalits, and over 70,000 Muslims, with higher castes making up the remaining.
Contemplating the affect of the Shakya vote, the SP had appointed former minister Alok Shakya as its Mainpuri district president forward of the bypoll, changing Devendra Yadav.
The names declared by the BJP for the opposite bypolls to be held in UP had been on extra anticipated traces. From Khatauli, it has fielded Rajkumari Saini, a former village pradhan and the spouse of Vikram Singh Saini, the sitting MLA who needed to step down following his conviction in a case associated to the 2013
Muzaffarnagar riots. A BJP chief stated there have been hints that Saini would insurgent if his spouse was not given the ticket.
Rajkumari will face the RLD’s Madan Bhaiyya, who’s backed by its ally SP. That is the primary time Madan Bhaiyaa is contesting from Khatauli, having earlier fought twice from Loni seat in Ghaziabad and misplaced. RLD UP state president Ramashish Rai stated: “Madan Bhaiyya is a well-liked Gujjar chief of western UP and he has affect in Khatauli.”
Within the 2022 Meeting elections, the BJP’s Saini had gained from Khatauli with 45.34% of the votes towards 38% votes for the RLD’s Rajpal Singh Saini. Nevertheless, earlier than that, in 2012 and 2002, the RLD had gained the seat.
Saini’s disqualification had come after RLD president Jayant Chaudhary wrote to UP Meeting Speaker Satish Mahana asking why Vikram Saini had not been disqualified regardless of conviction within the riots case, although SP MLA Azam Khan had confronted fast motion following a hate speech case conviction.
The third bypoll in UP is for the Rampur Meeting seat vacated by Azam. From right here, the BJP has fielded Akash Saxena, who contested towards the senior SP chief within the current Meeting elections and acquired 34.6% votes towards Azam’s 59.71%.
A BJP chief stated Saxena was a pure alternative for the ticket. “He’s the person liable for nearly half the circumstances towards Azam Khan’s household.”
Saxena, who runs an export enterprise, claims to be behind 30 of the FIRs lodged towards Khan, and says that others got here ahead to file complaints towards the SP chief at his behest.
The SP is but to declare its candidate from Rampur. Given the strained ties between Akhilesh and Azam Khan, there’s a number of curiosity in who the get together will choose.