Firozabad, Samajwadi Party has launched its campaign on development and employment issues as it tries to win back the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, which it lost to the BJP in the 2019 elections.
SP has won the seat three consecutive times since 1999 and in 2014, Akshay Yadav, who had lost in 2019, has been re-fielded by the party against BJP's Vishwadeep Singh.
With a former MP in the fray, the SP seems to have an edge over Singh, who has joined the saffron party, replacing 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 BJP in 2022.Meanwhile, Akshay Yadav's return as the SP candidate for the third time in the upcoming elections is being seen as a significant comeback.
The SP leader had emerged victorious in 2014, but lost to BJP's Jadon in 2019 by a margin of 28,781 votes.
Akshay Yadav's defeat was said to be due to vote division caused by the independent candidature of his uncle Shivpa Yadav.
Speaking to PTI, Akshay Yadav stressed on the key themes of his campaign, which include youth employment, developmental initiatives and upholding constitutional values.
He said, “Unemployment is an important issue and we are fighting this election to solve the youth employment crisis.,
"I will work towards the development of Firozabad and the issue of unemployment, which is a big problem in the entire country. Most importantly, we will work towards saving the Constitution of the country," the 37-year-old said.
On the opposition side, the BJP's decision to nominate Singh has led to dissatisfaction among local party members who were expecting a more experienced candidate, a BJ member said.
Some see Singh's candidacy as a strategic move to attract specific caste demographics, particularly the Kshatriya community, which has been under-represented in the BJP's candidate roster across Uttar Pradesh.
At the grassroots level, while Akshay Yadav received support for his work as an MP in his previous tenure, there were also those who criticized the efforts of the BJ government, especially in promoting Hindutva ideologies and the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Expressed satisfaction over the efforts ofRajesh Sharma, a shopkeeper at Firozabad's Bangle Bazaar, supported the government's Hindutva agenda, saying, "The government's focus on Hindutva matches our values and beliefs".
Rakesh Yadav, another Firozabad resident and owner of a glass factory, stressed the need for a balanced approach to address issues like agriculture and employment.
He expressed support towards SP's promises and projects like supply of Ganga water and development agenda in Firozabad.
SP won the Lok Sabha elections in Firozabad in 1999, 2004 and 2009. However in 2009, Akhilesh Yadav resigned after winning to retain his Kannau seat.In the by-election held on this seat in 2009, Raj Babba of Congress won, 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 set to see a direct contest between SP's Akshay Yadav and BJP's Vishwadeep Singh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on May 7.
SP has won the seat three consecutive times since 1999 and in 2014, Akshay Yadav, who had lost in 2019, has been re-fielded by the party against BJP's Vishwadeep Singh.
With a former MP in the fray, the SP seems to have an edge over Singh, who has joined the saffron party, replacing 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 BJP in 2022.Meanwhile, Akshay Yadav's return as the SP candidate for the third time in the upcoming elections is being seen as a significant comeback.
The SP leader had emerged victorious in 2014, but lost to BJP's Jadon in 2019 by a margin of 28,781 votes.
Akshay Yadav's defeat was said to be due to vote division caused by the independent candidature of his uncle Shivpa Yadav.
Speaking to PTI, Akshay Yadav stressed on the key themes of his campaign, which include youth employment, developmental initiatives and upholding constitutional values.
He said, “Unemployment is an important issue and we are fighting this election to solve the youth employment crisis.,
"I will work towards the development of Firozabad and the issue of unemployment, which is a big problem in the entire country. Most importantly, we will work towards saving the Constitution of the country," the 37-year-old said.
On the opposition side, the BJP's decision to nominate Singh has led to dissatisfaction among local party members who were expecting a more experienced candidate, a BJ member said.
Some see Singh's candidacy as a strategic move to attract specific caste demographics, particularly the Kshatriya community, which has been under-represented in the BJP's candidate roster across Uttar Pradesh.
At the grassroots level, while Akshay Yadav received support for his work as an MP in his previous tenure, there were also those who criticized the efforts of the BJ government, especially in promoting Hindutva ideologies and the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Expressed satisfaction over the efforts ofRajesh Sharma, a shopkeeper at Firozabad's Bangle Bazaar, supported the government's Hindutva agenda, saying, "The government's focus on Hindutva matches our values and beliefs".
Rakesh Yadav, another Firozabad resident and owner of a glass factory, stressed the need for a balanced approach to address issues like agriculture and employment.
He expressed support towards SP's promises and projects like supply of Ganga water and development agenda in Firozabad.
SP won the Lok Sabha elections in Firozabad in 1999, 2004 and 2009. However in 2009, Akhilesh Yadav resigned after winning to retain his Kannau seat.In the by-election held on this seat in 2009, Raj Babba of Congress won, 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 set to see a direct contest between SP's Akshay Yadav and BJP's Vishwadeep Singh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on May 7.
