Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is likely to contest from Kannauj parliamentary seat this Lok Sabha elections, sources said on Monday, March 4. 

This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has fielded Subrata Pathak from Kannauj. Taking charge against Pathak, Akhilesh will himself contest from Kannauj, said sources. The office bearers of the Samajwadi Party in Kannauj have also been alerted, said sources. 

SP May Field Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh 

Further, the Samajwadi Party is planning to field Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh. The BJP has fielded Dinesh Lal Nirahua from Azamgarh. Earlier, it was being speculated that Shivpal Yadav may contest from the family borough Azamgarh, while Dimple Yadav may be fielded from Mainpuri. 

Akhilesh Yadav won the Azamgarh parliamentary seat in 2019 parliamentary elections but decided to quit after winning the Karhal seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. 

Why Akhilesh Yadav May Pick Kannauj? 

Kannauj has been a ‘family seat’ for the Samajwadi Party as the party has won Kannauj seat five consecutive polls between 1998 and 2014. In the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Akhilesh had contested and won from Kannauj. He first won the seat in a bypoll in 2000.

The seat went to wife Dimple Yadav after Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise. However, Dimple lost the seat to BJP in 2019 parliamentary elections.