UP Elections: Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Mainpuri’s Karhal

New Delhi, Jan 20: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Mainpuri's Karhal Assembly constituency, reported ANI quoting sources.

This is for the first time that Yadav is going fight a state election. He is currently a Lok Sabha member of Parliament from Azamgarh.

A few days ago, Yadav had said that he would seek the permission of the people from his constituency if he decides to contest the assembly election. "I will seek the permission of the people of Azamgarh if I decide to contest the elections. I need to seek their permission because they elected me from there," said the SP chief.

There were reports that he was under pressure to contest the election after UP CM Yogi Adityanath decided to contest the election for the first time.

In 2012, Akhilesh Yadav became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh through the Legislative Council route.

Meanwhile, Former SP MLA Pramod Gupta, brother-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav, joined the BJP on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Gupta said, "Akhilesh Yadav has imprisoned Mulayam Singh Yadav and his position is very bad in the party...criminals and gamblers have been inducted into Samajwadi Party," according to ANI.