SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav poised for bigger role in national politics

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav is expected to resign from his membership in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, signaling his intention to focus on a larger role in national politics.

This resignation will also see him relinquish his position as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Yadav was elected to the state Assembly from the Karhal constituency in the Mainpuri district during the March 2022 UP Assembly elections.

The decision on who will replace Akhilesh Yadav as the LoP in the UP Assembly has not been finalised. However, there is speculation that his uncle, Shivpal Yadav, a senior party leader, may be chosen for the role.

In a significant political victory, Akhilesh Yadav reclaimed the Yadav family stronghold of Kannauj by winning the Lok Sabha seat with 642,292 votes, defeating the incumbent BJP MP Subrat Pathak by over 100,000 votes. Initially, the SP had planned to field Akhilesh’s nephew, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the Kannauj constituency, but party workers’ preference for Akhilesh led to the change.

Akhilesh Yadav began his political career in 2000, contesting a by-election for a Lok Sabha seat. He subsequently contested and won from Kannauj in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, he contested from the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat. Following his win in the 2022 UP Assembly elections from Karhal, he resigned from his Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat.

On Friday, Akhilesh Yadav received a warm welcome at the SP state office after the party’s successful performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing party members, Yadav expressed his gratitude to the electorate and the party cadre for their support.