Print Email to Friend| Posted on 05 June 2012

CURRENT AFFAIRS   UTTAR PRADESH

Dimple Yadav files nominations for the Kannauj Parliamentary constituency

Will fight for the seat vacated by husband Akhilesh Yadav, the by-polls are on 24 June

Virendra Nath Bhatt
Lucknow

Dimple Yadav with Ahkilesh Yadav at a public meet ALSO READ Mulayam Singh nominates daughter-in-law for Kannauj Lok Sabha seat Dimple Yadav is a Big Hit in Ferozabad Cat’s Paw Or Sleeping Tigress?

Dimple Yadav, wife of the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Tuesday 5 June, filed her nomination papers from the Kannauj Parliamentary seat as the Samajwadi Party ‘s candidate. The constituency goes to by-polls on 24 June. The Kannauj Parliamentary seat fell vacant after the resignation of the sitting MP Akhilesh Yadav, who took over as the state’s Chief Minister on 15 March, after the Samajwadi Party returned to power in Assembly elections.

Dimple is trying her luck for the second time in the political arena, again choosing a seat vacated by her husband. In 2009, Akhilesh vacated the Firozabad seat after winning from both Firozabad and Kannauj. However, Dimple had then lost to Congress’s Raj Babbar in the by-elections.

This time around, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law is all set to have a comfortable win in the by-election. None of the major parties such as the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have fielded their candidates. The deadline for filing of papers ends is Wednesday 6 June. The Congress has officially not fielded the candidate as the Samajwadi Party's support is critical for the Congress-led UPA government and the Presidential election.

“We have not received any directions from the party high command till now and the candidate will be announced as soon as our senior leaders inform us”, said senior BSP leader Naseemuddin Sidiqui. BJP state president LK Bajpai said, “The issue was before the central parliamentary board of the party and a decision will be taken soon.”

Dimple Yadav, the daughter in law of law of the first family of the SP was accompanied by the top brass of the party barring the party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Close to a dozen ministers including Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam Singh’s younger brother, three national general secretaries and several MPs and MLAs were present at the public meeting addressed by Dimple Yadav before she filed her papers.

In her maiden public meeting Dimple Yadav, sought to dispel the impression that she was a political greenhorn. “Whatever the Samajwadi Party promised in its manifesto, it has fulfilled it in its budget and I assure you that we will meet all the commitments. The previous BSP government had pulled the state back by 20 years. Will try to bridge the gap in the next five years”, she said.

She sought to warm the hearts of the people by saying “Main Kisi ki bahu, kisi ki beti aur kisi ki bhabhi hoon (I am a daughter for some, a daughter-in-law for other and a sister-in-law for some people in Kannauj). I seek your support to ensure the development of the state. I won’t speak more as the model code of conduct has been enforced in the constituency, I request everyone to work for the overall development of the state”.

Without naming Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh, Dimple said, “I am here to seek your blessings in order to raise the voice of UP in the Parliament. The people of the state have trusted Netaji (Mulayam) and have also given the state its youngest CM”.

On his part, Akhilesh Yadav also did not forget to remind the electorate of the setback faced by the party in 2009, when Dimple had lost the election. ``Our previous experience with the by-election in Firozabad was not good, and then you wanted me to vacate the Kanauji seat. I hope this time there will be no problem and Dimple will sail home easily. In 2009 Parliamentary elections Akhilesh Yadav had contested from two Lok Sabha seats and won both. Later he vacated the Firozabad seat and Dimple had unsuccessfully contested from that seat.

Akhilesh also thanked the people of Kannauj for making him the youngest Parliamentarian. “I contested my first election in 1999 and you trusted me. We are thankful for the support of the people and your confidence in SP. We promise that we will fulfil all our promises”, he said.

Virendra Nath Bhatt is a Special Correspondent with Tehelka.
virendranathbhatt@gmail.com