ASSEMBLY POLLS 2022: No Cong nominee pitted against SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in UP

Lucknow, February 1

The Congress has fielded no candidates against Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav on Karhal and Jaswant Nagar Assembly seats, where the deadline for filing nominations ended Tuesday.

A Congress spokesperson said the party pitted no candidates against the two in a reciprocal gesture of the SP which, too, had fielded no one on Rae Bareilly and Amethi Lok Sabha seats against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 General Election.

Congress’ Etawah district president Malkhan Singh said the local unit had sent a list of six names for the Jaswant Nagar seat, but the party high command did not approve of any name for the constituency.

UP Congress general secretary Prakash Pradhan said the party leadership had directed that since SP patriarch Mulayam Singh did not field any candidate against our leaders, the party too would field no one against Akhilesh.

The Congress had earlier declared Gyanwati Yadav as its candidate for the Karhal, but after Akhilesh filed his nomination there, the party decided to withdraw her candidature, Pradhan said. —