Lok Sabha elections: BJP fields 'Nirahua' to take on Akhilesh Yadav from Azamgarh

The BJP has decided to field Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' from Azamgarh against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting.

The BJP has decided to field Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' from Azamgarh against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting. Photo: Facebook

LUCKNOW: The BJP on Wednesday released a list of six Lok Sabha candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding Bhojpuri star Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' from Azamgarh constituency, from where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting. A popular name in the Bhojpuri films industry, Yadav is a singer as well as a television presenter. He was also a contestant on Bigg Boss 6 in 2012. He joined the BJP last week in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, where he pledged to work as per the directives of the party and said he wanted to see Narendra Modi again as the prime minster of the country for a second term. "I will work as per the directives of the party. I will fight the election if party decides for it and want to see Narendra Modi again as the prime minster of the country. People are aware of the interest of the country and they will vote accordingly" Nirahua ahd said while joining the BJP. Instead of fielding any political heavyweight to take on Akhilesh Yadav, whose father and SP founder Mulayam Singh is the sitting MP from Azamgarh, the BJP decided to put its weight behind Nirahua, who enjoys a celebrity status in the Bhojpuri belt. Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 members to the Lower House of the Parliament, will have seven-phased elections, beginning April 11. In UP, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats and where the BJP did exceedingly well in 2014 elections by winning 71 seats on its own (two were won by its ally Apna Dal), the party faces combined challenge of the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. These three parties have forged an alliance to take on the BJP. The Congress, which is fighting the polls on its own in the state, has also injected new energy in its efforts by appointing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary incharge of eastern UP.