Uttar Pradesh By Polls: In a surprising political development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Anujesh Yadav, the brother-in-law of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Azamgarh MP Dharmendra Yadav, as its candidate from the Karhal constituency.
This move pits a family member against a relative, with Anujesh Yadav now facing off against SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav, his nephew by relation.
BJP fields uncle against nephew in Karhal
The BJP recently released a list of seven candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh by-elections, sparking widespread interest with its choice of Anujesh Yadav as the candidate from Karhal. Anuj, the husband of Dharmendra Yadav’s sister Sandhya alias Baby Yadav, now enters a direct electoral battle with his nephew, Tej Pratap Yadav, who is contesting on behalf of the Samajwadi Party. The dynamics of this race have added a layer of intrigue to an already heated political contest.
Other BJP candidates for UP by-elections
In addition to the Karhal seat, the BJP has announced candidates for several other constituencies. Ramveer Singh Thakur has been nominated for the Kundarki seat, while Surendra Diler will contest from Khair (SC) seat. Deepak Patel has secured the ticket for Phulpur, and Katehari will be represented by Dharmaraj Nishad. In Majhawan, Smt. Suchismita Maurya will run on a BJP ticket. However, the party has yet to announce candidates for the Sisamau and Meerapur seats.
Who is Anujesh Yadav?
Anujesh Yadav is not new to the political arena. His wife, Sandhya Yadav, served as District Panchayat President of Mainpuri from 2015 to 2020, while Anuj himself was a District Panchayat member in Firozabad during the same period. He hails from Bharol village in Firozabad, adding local influence to his political career. His candidacy is expected to stir the political waters in the Karhal constituency.
Nishad Party left empty-handed
Despite its alliance with the BJP, the Nishad Party did not receive any seats in this by-election. The party had previously demanded two seats, including Katehari and Majhawan, but the BJP chose to field its own candidates instead. Sanjay Nishad, the leader of the Nishad Party, had been pushing for these seats, citing his party’s previous contest on the BJP symbol, but the BJP’s final list did not accommodate the requests.
Samajwadi Party’s candidate lineup
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has revealed its six candidates for the Uttar Pradesh by-elections. Tej Pratap Yadav will contest from Karhal, the seat vacated by Akhilesh Yadav. Naseem Solanki, the wife of Irfan Solanki, will run from the Sisamau seat. The party has also fielded Mustafa Siddiqui for Phulpur, Shobhavati Verma for Katehari, Sumbul Rana for Meerapur, and Dr. Jyoti Bind for Majhawan. The SP is yet to announce its candidates for the Ghaziabad, Khair, and Kundarki seats.
Key seats in the by-election
The by-election will take place in nine key constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, including Meerapur, Ghaziabad, Khair, Kundarki, Karhal, Majhawan, Phulpur, Sisamau, and Katehari. The Karhal seat, in particular, has garnered significant attention due to the family rivalry between Anujesh Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, making it one of the most watched contests in this by-election.
