Akhilesh Yadav

The by-election to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which was declared vacant following the demise of Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, is extremely crucial for the party and the Yadav clan. A victory in Mainpuri will not only strengthen his position as the party leader but will also boost the morale of the cadres.

Maurya said this while responding to Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav who had said during a rally that he can provide an opportunity to the BJP leader to become the Chief Minister. During an interaction with IANS, Maurya said: "I am a Swayamsevak... and a Swayamsevak never aims for any position. Akhilesh Yadav has a greed for positions and that's why he is making such statements."

The collage includes a photograph of all the BJP leaders whose sons and daughters are leaders in the party. The attack came days ahead of the bypoll to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, which fell vacant after the death of Samajwadi Party founder and Akhilesh's father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Samajwadi Party has chosen Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, as its candidate in Mainpuri while the BJP has picked former Samajwadi Party MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya for the seat.

After Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called Shivpal a pendulum and a football at an election rally in Mainpuri and hours later, his security was scaled down to 'Y' from 'Z' category on Monday, it is now the CBI which has sought permission from the state government to interrogate Shivpal and two senior IAS officers in the riverfront scam case. The Yogi Adityanath government had ordered a CBI probe in the riverfront scam after it came to power in 2017.

This is being seen as a direct fallout of his support to Dimple Yadav, the Samajwadi candidate in Mainpuri Lok Sabha by election. In a letter to the Lucknow Police Commissioner and other concerned officials, Superintendent of Police (Security) Etawah Vaibhav Krishna said that the decision to scale down the security was taken at a recent review meeting regarding threat perception to Shivpal Yadav

Accompanied by SP president Akhilesh Yadav, SP MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and others, Dimple filed four sets of nomination papers. Shivpal Singh Yadav was conspicuous by his absence on the occasion.

Though the Mainpuri seat is considered relatively safe for Samajwadi Party, in view of the prevailing political situation in the state, the SP will need all its resources to retain the seat from where Dimple Yadav is contesting. The seat has been a SP stronghold and Mulayam Singh had never lost any election from here. It is important for the SP to win the seat and retain Mulayam's legacy. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate, but former SP allies are already predicting the SP's defeat in Mainpuri.

The Mainpuri seat was held by Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away last month, necessitating a by-election.

Shivpal, who is the national president of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL), has said that Akhilesh Yadav was surrounded by sycophants.While talking to reporters at a private programme, he said, "He is surrounded by sycophants who believe in mere flattering."

Less than a month after the demise of Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav faces a major challenge in the form of by-elections in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat that was held by his late father. The Mainpuri seat is extremely crucial for the Samajwadi Party as well as the family since it has been one of the strongest Samajwadi bastions since 1989.