The Samajwadi Party (SP) has intensified its groundwork in Azamgarh as it aims to recapture the Lok Sabha seat it lost to the BJP in the 2022 parliamentary bypoll. The Azamgarh constituency, previously held by SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014 and party president Akhilesh Yadav in 2019, slipped from the party's grasp when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua clinched victory in the 2022 bypoll, defeating SP's Dharmendra Yadav.
The by-election arose after Akhilesh Yadav vacated the seat upon his triumph in the Karhal constituency of Mainpuri district during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. As the SP endeavors to reclaim this electoral stronghold, the recent inclusion of former BSP leader Shah Alam, also known as Guddu Jamali, has invigorated the local SP cadre in Azamgarh, news agency PTI reported.
Jamali had previously posed a formidable challenge to the Akhilesh Yadav-led party in past elections and garnered considerable local support. A two-time BSP MLA (2012, 2017) from the Mubarakpur constituency in Azamgarh, Jamali is reputed to enjoy significant popularity in the district. He had contested the 2014 and 2022 bypoll elections from Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat against SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, respectively, on a BSP ticket. In the 2022 bypoll, he had secured 2,66,210 votes from the constituency as BSP candidate, evidently backed by Muslim voters.
Although BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua emerged victorious in that election with 3.12 lakh votes, SP's Dharmendra Yadav trailed closely with 3.04 lakh votes. In the 2014 poll also, Jamali secured over 2.66 lakh votes from Azamgarh and was in third place, while Mulayam Singh Yadav won the seat securing 3.40 lakh votes.
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SP Confident Of Win In Azamgarh
According to PTI, SP district president Havaldar Yadav said, "This seat will be in our party's favour this time. We have done a lot of ground work here." Elabourating about Jamali joining the party, he said, "Obviously, with him by our side, we will defeat the rivals. He has ground presence and a good following." Jamali, who formally joined the SP on February 28, is a prominent businessman actively engaged in the district.
Jamali said, "I have joined the SP and will ensure that whosoever contests from the seat, wins." "I am a man of principles, I am here (in SP) due to the political scenario. I will remain here for my remaining life and make sure to do my best for the party," he also said, PTI reported.
BJP Vs Samajwadi Party On Azamgarh Seat
While the BJP has nominated Bhojpuri star Dinesh Yadav Nirahua once again for the Azamgarh seat, the SP is yet to announce its candidate. There is speculation that party leader Dharmendra Yadav may be fielded again from the seat.
Local BJP leaders, when reached for comment, expressed unwavering faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting confidence in Nirahua's re-election from the seat.
Since 1996, the Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat has been consistently won by either Muslims or Yadavs.
Ramakant Yadav emerged victorious as an SP candidate in 1996 and 1999. Later, he won again as a BSP candidate in 2004 and on as a BJP candidate in 2009. The seat was held by Akbar Ahmed Dumpy as a BSP candidate in 1998 and 2008 by-elections.
With 35.43 percent of the vote, Mulayam Singh Yadav defeated Ramakant by 63,000 votes in the 2014 general elections, despite the "Modi wave" in favour of his candidacy.
BJP's Ramakant secured 28.85 percent of the votes, while Jamali, then fielded by BSP, received 27.75 percent of the votes.
The seat was won by SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav in 2019 over BJP candidate Nirahua, who went on to win the 2022 bypoll. At the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the SP and BSP sided together.
The five assembly segments that make up the Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency are currently held by the SP and are Gopalpur, Sagri, Mubarakpur, Azamgarh, and Mehnagar.