The chief of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, may contest from the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat, potentially replacing nephew Tej Pratap Yadav. This possibility has arisen as the party's local unit has petitioned him to reconsider the decision to field his nephew from this constituency. The final and official decision will be taken by the Samajwadi Party.
While discussing the potential candidacy in Kannauj, Akhilesh Yadav stated that he will heed the wishes of the people of Kannauj. Sources indicate that SP workers in Kannauj are reluctant to accept Tej Pratap's candidacy. Despite announcing Tej Pratap's name earlier in accordance with promises made, it is now believed that Akhilesh Yadav might take his place as the candidate. Akhilesh is scheduled to visit Etawah and Saifai before making a decision on the nomination for Kannauj.
The announcement of candidates for Kannauj and Ballia seats by the Samajwadi Party has sparked debates about their strategies. Akhilesh had initially given the ticket to his family member and Lalu Prasad Yadav's son-in-law, Tej Pratap Yadav, while naming Sanatan Pandey for Ballia.
Source: aajtak
There has been a long-standing uncertainty within the Samajwadi Party regarding the Kannauj seat, with speculations that party head Akhilesh Yadav might contest. However, this was clarified when Akhilesh put forward his nephew as the candidate from his old seat.
Who is Tej Pratap Yadav?
Tej Pratap Yadav's father, Ranvir Singh Yadav, was Akhilesh Yadav's cousin and passed away at the age of 36. He was politically active and served as a block chief. After which, his wife Mridula Yadav also served as the block chief of Saifai. Tej Pratap's wife, Raj Lakshmi, is the daughter of the former Chief Minister of Bihar and the national president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Tej Pratap has previously been a Member of Parliament from Mainpuri
Tej Pratap Yadav has served as the MP for Mainpuri. When 'Netaji' Mulayam Singh Yadav contested and won from both Azamgarh and Mainpuri constituencies in the 2014 elections, he later vacated the Mainpuri seat. Tej Pratap was fielded by the SP in the subsequent by-election, marking his first stint in the country's largest parliamentary body. However, Tej Pratap was not given the ticket for the 2019 elections, and instead, Netaji himself contested from Mainpuri. After Mulayam Singh's demise, the by-election for this seat was won by Dimple Yadav.
