Akhilesh Yadav to file nomination from Karhal; says '2022 UP polls will write history of next century'

The Samajwadi Party has declared Akhilesh Yadav as its candidate from the Karhal assembly seat, which is part of the Mainpuri parliamentary constituency represented by party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said this Uttar Pradesh assembly polls will write the country's history for the next century and appealed to people to defeat negative politics.

Yadav, who is in the Mainpuri district to file his nomination from the Karhal assembly seat, also said that his "mission" is of a movement of positive politics with progressive thinking.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has declared Akhilesh Yadav as its candidate from the Karhal assembly seat, which is part of the Mainpuri parliamentary constituency represented by party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"This 'nomination' is a 'mission' as this UP election will write the country's history for the next century. Let's take part in this movement of positive politics with progressive thinking. Defeat negative politics, remove it too. Jai Hind!" Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

He also shared a picture of him leaving on the Samajwadi Vijay Rath bus for Mainpuri from his native place Saifai in Etawah. Karhal will go to the polls on February 20 in the third of the seven-phase elections in the state.

Later, talking to reporters, Akhilesh Yadav said, "First of all, I want to thank the people of Mainpuri and the people of the organisation, who have given me a chance that today I am nominated from Karhal for contesting the elections. I am going to do it."

"Positive politics has been carried forward and I hope the people of Uttar Pradesh will remove those who do negative politics in this election. Therefore, I appeal to the people to give an opportunity to the SP not only in Karhal but in every area. The party will take the state on the path of development, prosperity and progress," he said.

The Karhal constituency is just four km from Saifai - the native village of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Except for 2002, the constituency is with the SP since 1993. In the 2002 assembly polls, sitting MLA Sobaran Singh had contested on a BJP ticket. Thereafter, he joined the SP and has won the elections three times consecutively.

Karhal has a total of about 3.7 lakh electorate including 1.4 lakh (or 37 per cent) Yadavs, 34,000 Shakhyas (OBCs) and around 14,000 Muslims.