AZAMGARH: SP’s Shivpal Singh Yadav has said he is not averse to contesting from Azamgarh constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha (LS) elections if the party asks him to.
संत शिरोमणि श्री बाबा कवलदास साहेब जी महाराज की 22वीं पुण्यतिथि के अवसर पर झारखंडे आश्रम, रौसड़ कप्तानगंज, आजमगढ़ में आयोजित नाम जप महायज्ञ में सम्मिलित हुआ। pic.twitter.com/BmjxWarJgw
— Shivpal Singh Yadav (@shivpalsinghyad) June 16, 2023
The LS constituency was held by Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch, late Mulayam Singh Yadav, in 2014, and later by party president Akhilesh Yadav in 2019.
Interacting with reporters in Azamgarh on Friday, Shivpal said, ”It is for the national leadership to decide who will contest from Azamgarh. But the decision of the party will be respected.”
आजमगढ़ में शोकाकुल परिवार से मुलाकात की और दिवंगत जन को भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित की । pic.twitter.com/BV9ieZrjHA
— Shivpal Singh Yadav (@shivpalsinghyad) June 16, 2023
Azamgarh is currently held by BJP’s Dinesh Lal Yadav. Dinesh Lal Yadav had defeated SP’s Dharmendra Yadav, a cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, in a 2022 by-election. Akhilesh Yadav had won from Azamgarh in 2019 Lok Sabha elections but vacated the seat after winning from Karhal assembly seat in 2022.
SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav, also Mulayam’s brother, had defected from the party months before 2017 assembly elections and formed his own party — Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL). However, following the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav in October last year Shivpal grew close to SP again.
He formally joined the party after the Mainpuri by-election in which campaigned for Dimple Yadav which led to her winning against the BJP candidate by a record margin.
