Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has officially resigned his position as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Karhal constituency in Uttar Pradesh, opting instead to retain his victorious seat in the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency from the recently concluded polls.
Speculations regarding Akhilesh’s resignation had been circulating, and his decision to relinquish the Karhal assembly seat in favor of retaining Kannauj was confirmed on Wednesday. According to a senior SP leader, this decision was made after thorough consultations with party leaders and workers from both constituencies.
With the SP now with 37 Members of Parliament (MPs), it has emerged as a major political force in the country. “We are now the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha in terms of membership,” stated the leader.
The move to retain the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat is seen as a means to elevate Akhilesh’s national profile and strengthen the party’s influence in the capital. “We are the second-largest party in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. We will play a crucial role in national politics,” added the SP leader.
While Akhilesh has expressed that the party will decide on his successor as the Leader of the Opposition in the UP Assembly, sources suggest that his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav is a likely candidate. Additionally, there are speculations that Akhilesh’s nephew, Tej Pratap Yadav, may contest from the Karhal seat.
In a related development, Awadhesh Prasad, the newly elected SP MP from Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, has also resigned from his position as MLA from the Milkipur seat. Prasad secured victory over BJP’s Lallu Singh by a margin of over 52,000 votes, marking a significant win for the SP in wresting the prestigious seat from the saffron party.
During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the SP, in alliance with the Congress, clinched victory in 37 seats from the state, while the Congress secured six seats, solidifying their presence in the national political landscape.
