Akhilesh Yadav to contest UP polls from Karhal constituency in Mainpuri district

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election from Karhal constituency in Mainpuri district, the party announced on Thursday. Voting in Karhal is scheduled for February 20.

At present, Akhilesh Yadav is the Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh constituency. He has never contested a state election. When he became the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2012, he took the Legislative Council route.

On Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav had said he would decide whether to contest the polls



after talking to the people of his constituency. Speculation was rife that the Samajwadi Party leader may contest from Mainpuri Sadar, Chhibramau in Kannauj, Gopalpur in Azamgarh or Gunnaur in Sambhal. However, he will be fighting from Karhal constituency.

At present, Sobaran Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party is the Karhal MLA. The Samajwadi Party has won this seat seven times since 1993. In the 2002 election, the BJP had bagged Karhal. Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav represents Mainpuri constituency in Parliament.