Akshay Yadav's Candidacy Fuels SP's Ambitions for Dominance in Firozabad

Meanwhile, Akshay Yadavs return to the forefront in the upcoming election as the SP candidate for the third time is viewed as a significant comeback.The SP leader had emerged victorious in 2014 but narrowly lost to BJPs Jadon by a margin of 28,781 votes in 2019.

The Samajwadi Party has pitched its campaign on the development and employment issues as it tries to win back the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, a stronghold it lost to the BJP in the 2019 polls.

The SP has won the seat for three consecutive times since 1999 and also in 2014. Akshay Yadav, who lost in 2019, has been renominated by the party to contest against BJP's Vishwadeep Singh.

With a former MP in the fray, SP is looking to have an edge over Singh, a new arrival in the saffron party who has replaced sitting MP Chandrasen Jadon.

Even though Singh is not new to politics, his stint with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as a Lok Sabha candidate in 2014 resulted in defeat. He joined the BJP in 2022. Meanwhile, Akshay Yadav's return to the forefront in the upcoming election as the SP candidate for the third time is viewed as a significant comeback.

The SP leader had emerged victorious in 2014 but narrowly lost to BJP's Jadon by a margin of 28,781 votes in 2019. Akshay Yadav's loss was attributed to a vote split caused by his uncle Shivpal Yadav's independent candidacy.

Speaking to PTI, Akshay Yadav emphasised key themes of his campaign, including youth employment, developmental initiatives, and upholding constitutional values.

''Unemployment is a significant issue, and we are contesting this election to address the youth employment crisis,'' he said.

''I will be working towards the development of Firozabad and on the issue of unemployment which is a major problem throughout the country. Most importantly, we will work towards saving the Constitution of the country,'' the 37-year-old added.

On the opposing side, the BJP's decision to nominate Singh has caused discontent among local party members, who expected a more experienced candidate, a BJP member said.

Some view Singh's candidacy as a strategic move to appeal to specific caste demographics, particularly the Kshatriya community, which has been less represented in BJP's candidate roster across Uttar Pradesh.

On the ground, while Akshay Yadav received support for his work as an MP in his previous term, there were also those who expressed satisfaction with the BJP government's efforts, especially in promoting Hindutva ideologies and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Rajesh Sharma, a shopkeeper in Firozabad's bangle market, supported the government's Hindutva agenda, saying, ''the government's focus on Hindutva resonates with our values and beliefs''.

Another Firozabad resident and a glass factory owner, Rakesh Yadav, stressed the need for a balanced approach addressing issues like agriculture and employment. He expressed support for SP's promises and projects like supplying gangajal to Firozabad and its agenda of development.

The SP won the Lok Sabha elections in Firozabad in 1999, 2004 and 2009. However, in 2009, Akhilesh Yadav resigned after clinching victory to keep his Kannauj seat. The subsequent bypolls on the seat in 2009 registered Congress's Raj Babbar victorious, who was defeated by Akshay Yadav in 2014.

Firozabad, with a demographic composition of about 86 per cent Hindus and 12 per cent Muslims, is poised for a direct contest between Akshay Yadav of SP and Vishwadeep Singh of BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on May 7.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)