Akhilesh Yadav likely contest Uttar Pradesh polls

Lucknow, Jan 19: Samajwadi Party chief and MP from Azamgarh in UP Akhilesh Yadav will contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a party source has told ANI.

According to reports, Akhilesh may contest either from eastern UP or a central constituency like the high-profile Lucknow. Chances of contesting from two seats is also not ruled out.

The move comes after the BJP's Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, decided to contest the polls for the first time. Adityanath has been declared BJP candidate from Gorakhpur.

Gorakhpur is the hometown of Adityanath. He had been the MP from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat since 1998 until he became the chief minister in 2017.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister face of his party, said he will ''not be contesting the assembly polls''.

Reports of Akhilesh Yadav contesting the election comes on a day, Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav expected to join the BJP today. This comes as a major blow to the Samajwadi Party ahead of the crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh.

After Yogi's candidature, the BJP said from its official Twitter handle, "Our Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is contesting from Gorakhpur. Bua (Mayawati), Babua (Akhilesh Yadav) and Mrs Vadra Jee (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) should tell from which seat you are contesting or will you not contest for fear of defeat."

In the 2012 elections following the victory of the SP, Akhilesh assumed office on 15 March 2012 at the age of 38, becoming the youngest person to have held the office. Yadav currently is a Member of Parliament from the Azamgarh constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

He was first elected as MP from the Kannauj constituency in 2000. Yadav is the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party.

Elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting from February 10.