Mainpuri By-Election: Dimple Yadav to contest by-poll as Samajwadi Party candidate

Mainpuri By-Election: Dimple Yadav, the wife of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, will contest bypoll for Mainpuri parliamentary seat, which fell vacant after the death of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. The bypoll on the seat will be held on December 5 and result will be declared on December 8.

"The party declares Dimple Yadav as candidate for Mainpuri bypoll," Samajwadi Party said on its official Twitter handle.

Dimple Yadav had represented Kannauj seat in 2012 and 2014.

Name of Mulayam's grandson Tej Pratap Yadav, former MP from Mainpuri, was doing the rounds in the political circles as the probable SP candidate from the seat, but the choice ultimately fell on Dimple Yadav.

Dimple Yadav's candidature from the seat is seen as the SP's efforts to carry forward the legacy of her father-in-law on the seat, considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party since 1996.

Her selection is also seen as an attempt to unite party cadres ahead of the by-poll.

Akhilesh's Karhal assembly seat is part of Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency.

The declaration of Dimple's candidature would put a tough challenge to the BJP on the seat.

There was no immediate reaction from Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) of Shivpal Yadav on Dimple's candidature.

The role of Shivpal Yadav, Mulayam's younger brother, in the Mainpuri by-poll is hotly debated in the political circles.

The 44-year-old Dimple Yadav had lost the Lok Sabha by-election from Firozabad in 2009 against actor turned politician Raj Babbar and in 2019 to BJP candidate Subrat Pathak from Kannauj.

She was elected unopposed from the Kannauj constituency to the Lok Sabha in 2012 after Akhilesh became the Chief Minister and resigned from the seat to enter the Uttar Pradesh legislative council.

With PTI inputs