UP Elections 2022: Akhilesh Yadav to contest first Assembly polls from home turf Karhal

While rumours have been doing the rounds for sometime now, it now seems confirmed that Akhilesh Yadav will contest from his family`s stronghold

Lucknow: Putting speculations to rest, Akhilesh Yadav is officially all set to contest his first Assembly election. His constituency will be none other than Karhal seat in Mainpuri district, his family's stronghold, their home turf.

"I am making a formal official announcement now. Our national president Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Karhal assembly constituency in Mainpuri, and he will win with a massive mandate," Ramgopal Yadav said at a press conference where Akhilesh was also present, quoted the Hindustan Times. 

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Mainpuri's Karhal constituency, sources informed ANI on Thursday (January 20). However, the SP chief on Wednesday said that he will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Karhal after taking permission from Azamgarh residents. 

Earlier the BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Mainpuri Harnath Singh Yadav had said that Akhilesh will face defeat by a huge margin if he contests from Karhal assembly constituency, said BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Friday. "Akhilesh is nervous and scared. He is panicking these days. Sometimes rumours pour in that he will fight from Azamgarh, sometimes from Badaun, sometimes from Sambhal...The list is endless..." He had added, "These days rumours are going on that he will play safe and will contest from Mainpuri`s Karhal. Let me tell you all that if Akhilesh is going to contest elections from Karhal, considering that the seat as safe... he will lose very badly."

Yadav is currently a Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh. In 2012, when Yadav became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh took the Legislative Council route. Karhal Assembly constituency is one of the 403 constituencies of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and one of the five assembly constituencies in the Mainpuri (Lok Sabha constituency).

Yadav is currently a Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh. Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.