India News | 'Will Contest from Azamgarh if Party Asks Me To,' Says SP Leader Shivpal Yadav

Azamgarh (UP), Jun 17 (PTI) SP's Shivpal Singh Yadav has said he is not averse to contesting from Azamgarh constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if the party asks him to.

The LS constituency was held by Samajwadi Party patriarch, late Mulayam Singh Yadav, in 2014, and later by party president Akhilesh Yadav in 2019.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Forced To Carry Newborn Son's Body in Bag Aboard Passenger Bus As Government Hospital Denied Mortuary Van, Alleges Man in Jabalpur (Watch Video).

Interacting with reporters in Azamgarh on Friday, Shivpal said, "It is for the national leadership to decide who will contest from Azamgarh. But the decision of the party will be respected."

Azamgarh is currently held by BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav. Dinesh Lal Yadav had defeated SP's Dharmendra Yadav, a cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, in a 2022 by-election.

Also Read | Aurangabad: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar Bows, Pays Obeisance to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Watch Video).

Akhilesh Yadav had won from Azamgarh in 2019 Lok Sabha elections but vacated the seat after winning from Karhal assembly seat in 2022.

SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav, also Mulayam's brother, had defected from the party months before 2017 assembly elections and formed his own party — Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL).

However, following the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav in October last year Shivpal grew close to SP again.

He formally joined the party after the Mainpuri by-election in which campaigned for Dimple Yadav which led to her winning against the BJP candidate by a record margin.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)