Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Akhilesh to lead Vikas-Rozgar Yatra from Kannauj

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav has given a significant indication regarding the Lok Sabha elections, stating that a Samajwadi Vikas-Rozgar Yatra will be launched from Kannauj on 6 August under his leadership. This journey will stretch from the Coalmilk plant to the market in Kannauj.
The SP chief is likely to use this tour to criticise the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government’s development works that have been “stalled” across the state, including Kannauj. Akhilesh will also aim to use the yatra to as an opportunity to take on the government on the issue of youth and unemployment. The importance of this yatra lies in the fact that after the declaration of the INDIA alliance, this will be Akhilesh Yadav’s first move to commence his campaign against the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections through this journey. The selection of Kannauj for this beginning is also a subject of discussion in political circles. This journey from Kannauj led by Akhilesh is giving rise to several speculations. As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are approaching, there is talk that the SP president may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj.
It is worth mentioning that Akhilesh began his political career in this very constituency, but in the 2019 elections, his wife Dimple Yadav lost to Subrat Pathak here. At that time, Akhilesh Yadav contested from Azamgarh, where he emerged victorious. However, after the 2022 UP Assembly elections, Akhilesh Yadav resigned from the Azamgarh seat and retained the membership of the Vidhan Sabha from Karhal in Mainpuri.
As a result, a by-election was held in Azamgarh, where his paternal uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav lost to Dinesh Lal Yadav “Nirahua.” Now, it is being said that Akhilesh is not willing to return to the Azamgarh seat. There are also speculations that his uncle, Shivpal Singh, may contest from there. Therefore, the most suitable seat for Akhilesh Yadav to contest the Lok Sabha elections is being considered to be Kannauj, as it has been a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party. Besides Mulayam Singh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, and Akhilesh Yadav himself, have been Members of Parliament from Kannauj. In this context, the Samajwadi Vikas-Rozgar Yatra from Kannauj is being seen as a significant political signal against the BJP. Akhilesh Yadav, as the leader of the Samajwadi Party, wants to regain the lost ground in Kannauj. It remains to be seen what strategy he adopts during this yatra. Additionally, given that the yatra has been named “Samajwadi Vikas-Rozgar Yatra,” it will be interesting to see how much pressure Akhilesh can exert on the government on this issue.