The Karhal constituency in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district has turned into a political battleground for the Samajwadi Party (SP) family, with the by-election considered crucial for Tej Pratap Yadav, the SP candidate and grandson of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Karhal seat, an SP stronghold was vacated by Akhilesh Yadav when he was elected Kannauj MP in the Lok Sabha election 2024. Previously, Akhilesh defeated Union Minister SP Singh Baghel of the BJP in Karhal in the 2022 UP polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strategically fielded Anujesh Yadav, the brother-in-law of SP MP Dharmendra Yadav, making the contest particularly interesting. For uninitiated, Dharmendra's father Abhay Ram Yadav is the younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav and elder brother of Shivpal Singh Yadav.
The BJP aims to capture the constituency by appealing to the large Yadav voter base. “The fight here is no longer SP vs BJP, but Yadav vs Yadav,” observed local journalist Dinesh Shakya, as per news agency IANS Hindi.
“A few villages of Saifai block fall under the Karhal Assembly seat, which we are sure of winning due to the dominance of Yadav voters. However, the party does not want to take a chance even though they have a personal connection with Karhal,” Indian Express cited a party leader in the constituency as saying.
Karhal Bypoll 2024: SP Won 6 Out Of 7 Elections, But BJP Looks To Breach Fortress
In this assembly seat with a majority of Yadav votes, the SP has won six times out of the seven assembly elections held from 1993 to 2022, while BJP has won only once in the year 2002. For the last four elections, the SP has been continuously defeating its opponents. In the year 2022, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav contested his first assembly election on this seat.
But the BJP is posing a challenge to the SP to breach the Karhal fortress. In the 2022 election, the saffron party seized the Mainpuri assembly seat from SP. Currently, two out of four MLAs in the Mainpuri district, Jaiveer Singh from Mainpuri, and Ram Naresh Agnihotri from Bhongaon are from the BJP while SP is represented by Brajesh Katheriya on the Kishni seat and Akhilesh Yadav was elected from Karhal in 2022.
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Karhal Bypoll 2024: Caste Dynamics Vital As Yadav Family Puts Its Weigh Behind Tej Pratap Amid BJP Challenge
Karhal has around 3.75 lakh voters, with Yadavs making up about 1.3 lakh and Scheduled Castes comprising 60,000. Other communities include Shakyas (50,000), Thakurs (30,000), Pal/Bhagel (30,000), Muslims (25,000), Lodhis (20,000), Brahmins (20,000), and Banias (around 15,000).
BJP has bet on a Yadav face for the second time in Karhal. Earlier in 2002, Sobran Singh Yadav had won on a BJP ticket. However, later he joined the SP.
Political analyst Amodkant Mishra noted, “The BJP is banking on its 2002 win here. If successful, it could alter the outcome. Yet, caste dynamics remain vital, with Yadavs leaning towards the Mulayam family for their contributions to the region”, as per IANS Hindi.
Akhilesh Yadav, who has been at the forefront of campaigning, aims to maintain the SP's dominance. Karhal is one of the five Assembly segments under the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which is represented by Akhilesh’s wife, Dimple Yadav, a prominent figure in the SP. Dimple has also been heavily involved in the campaign, organising door-to-door meetings and corner sessions. Her presence, along with Shivpal Singh Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, underscored the family's unity during Tej Pratap’s nomination.
On October 27, she shared the stage with SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav and Azamgarh MP Dharmendra Yadav at a public meeting in Ghiror village. Additionally, Dimple inaugurated Tej Pratap’s election office in Karhal on October 26
Notably, Tej Pratap, who previously represented the seat from 2014 to 2019 after winning the bypoll following Mulayam Singh Yadav's resignation, is the son-in-law of former Bihar CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Yadav. He is married to Lalu's daughter, Raj Lakshmi Yadav. Initially named the party’s candidate for Kannauj ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Tej Pratap was later replaced by Akhilesh.
Akhilesh, along with key members of the SP “first family” — including his father, Ramgopal Yadav, Dharmendra, Dimple, and Shivpal — showed their support for Tej Pratap’s nomination at a grand show of strength on October 21. Following this, Akhilesh shifted his focus to the party’s organisational work and the other bypolls.
Shivpal has campaigned for SP candidates in other constituencies like Katehari and Sisamau, in addition to Karhal, which is adjacent to the Yadav family’s ancestral village of Saifai.
According to IANS, SP district president Alok Shakya asserted, “We are fighting to increase our margin. This is our bastion. BJP’s candidate has no influence here. Yadavs will vote for SP in one block.”
Meanwhile, BJP district president Rahul Chaturvedi expressed confidence, stating, “Anujesh Yadav has been with us for a decade. Under Yogi and Modi, Karhal is crime-free. Development is visible, and our candidate will win by a large margin.”
The BSP has fielded a Shakya candidate, potentially complicating SP’s prospects. Political observers suggest that BSP’s move could impact the backward and Dalit vote. Additionally, Chandrashekhar Azad has introduced his own candidate, aiming to split the Dalit vote.
Despite BJP’s efforts, the SP leadership remains optimistic. “People respect the legacy of Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) across all communities. The BJP only makes empty promises, while farmers and youth are discontent. Tej Pratap will win by a big margin,” Shakya stated.
With the BJP’s push and Anujesh’s ten-year association with the party, coupled with efforts by senior leaders like Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Maurya, Karhal is set for a high-stakes clash on November 20.