UP: SP’s Mulayam Singh, Dimple Yadav Leading In Traditional Strongholds Of Mainpuri, Kannauj  

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is leading in Mainpuri, the stronghold of the Samajwadi Party (SP). His and daughter-in-law and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s wife, Dimple Yadav, has also gained a substantial lead in Kannauj.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Tej Pratap Singh Yadav of the SP had secured Mainpuri with a margin of over 3 lakh votes, defeating BJP’s Prem Shakya. Mulayam Singh had contested from Azamgarh in 2014, winning with a margin of 60 thousand votes. Dimple Yadav had contested in 2014 from Mainpuri, winning the seat with a small margin of around 20 thousand votes. In 2012, after Akhilesh Yadav vacated the seat to take charge as the Chief Minister of UP, Dimple Yadav was elected unopposed from this seat. However, in 2019, she is facing a tough fight from BJP’s Subrat Pathak, who ended up second in 2014.

Both Mainpuri and Kannauj are strongholds of the SP. In Mainpuri, Yadavs account for about 35 per cent of the total 12.13 lakh voters. Muslims, Dalits and Shakyas are also present in large numbers in this seat. In Mainpuri, Yadavs and Muslims together number around 4.5 lakh, giving the gathbandhan an edge.