The Congress party has decided not to field a candidate against Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly seat. The name of the local Congress leader Gyanvati Devi was announced as a candidate in the center of the Mainpuri district on behalf of the Congress. Tuesday was the last day for nominations. He refrained from submitting nominations at the last minute under the direction of the Congress leadership.
The decision to withdraw the Congress candidate against the former chief minister is seen by some political analysts as ‘significant’ in the current context. According to them, the decision paved the way for a post-vote compromise with the SP. Mainpuri district Congress president Kulshreshtha said on Tuesday, “The declared candidate Gyanavati Devi did not submit her nomination on the instructions of the Congress high command.”
SP has won the Karhal assembly seat in Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Mainpuri district five times since 1993. Only in 2002 did the center fall to the BJP. Mulayam’s son Akhilesh is going to contest for the first time from this Yadav-influenced seat. The third phase of polling will be held on February 20 at that center.
