Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav meet 'chacha' Shivpal, seek his blessings

New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav, the party's candidate in the Mainpuri by-election, met PSP chief Shivpal Singh Yadav at his residence on Thursday (November 17, 2022). Shivpal Singh Yadav, president of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), has asked his party workers to ensure the victory of Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav in the Mainpuri parliamentary seat bypoll. Shivpal's appeal came just one day after the BJP named Raghuraj Singh Shakya as its candidate for the Mainpuri byelection. Shakya had previously stated that he would seek the blessings of his "political guru," Shivpal Singh Yadav, for the December 5 by-election.

The death of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav necessitated the Mainpuri bypoll. Shivpal Singh Yadav has been named as one of the SP's campaigners. The PSPL chief called a two-hour meeting of his party's senior leaders, officer bearers, block presidents, and booth presidents at Saifai on Wednesday. According to a leader who attended the meeting, he told his party workers that Mulayam Singh Yadav had an emotional bond with the constituency and that it would be a true tribute to 'Netaji' if the SP won the seat vacated by him.

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"The SP has fielded Netaji's daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav from the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. Dimple is also the elder daughter-in-law of our family. Campaign for her and work to ensure her victory with a huge margin," Shivpal Yadav was quoted as saying by a party worker.

Etawah, Uttar Pradesh | Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and the party's candidate for Mainpuri by-election Dimple Yadav met PSP chief Shivpal Singh Yadav at his residence today.

(Pic Source: Dimple Yadav's Twitter account) pic.twitter.com/cCB3K7Pma4 — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 17, 2022

According to party workers, those present at the meeting assured him that they would follow through on his decision. Shivpal Singh Yadav's role in the bypoll is important to the Samajwadi Party because his Jaswantnagar assembly constituency is part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency. 

He also has strong ties with the people of Mainpuri. Shivpal Yadav would fill in for Mulayam Singh Yadav when he was unable to attend programmes there. Mainpuri has long been a Yadav family pocket borough. Shivpal Yadav's request to campaign for the SP candidate is significant because the BJP nominee for the seat was once thought to be close to him.

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Shakya was once close to Shivpal Yadav, but he left PSPL to join the BJP earlier this year. He was a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP) before joining Shivpal Yadav's new party. The counting of votes after the byelection will begin on December 8. Shivpal Singh Yadav and his son Aditya Yadav were both absent on Monday when Dimple Yadav filed her nomination papers.

(With agencies inputs)