Kannauj: Attacking SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP candidate from Kannauj, Subrat Pathak, says the people of the constituency will decide whether they want an MP who runs the "shop of dynasty politics" or the one who raises the "voice of the people".
Pathak, a sitting BJP MP from Kannauj, is pitted against Yadav, who is considered a strong candidate in the constituency.
The BJP candidate, who is relying on the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to win this seat again, also countered Yadav's allegations that the BJP will change the Constitution and end reservation, terming these as mere gimmicks.
"This time the people here will decide whether they want an MP who runs 'pariwarwad ki dukan' or the one who raises 'janata ki awaz'," Pathak told PTI during his campaign trail.
"The people understand the gimmicks of the opposition. The BJP's work culture is of service and good governance."
"We did whatever we said. Whatever support I am getting from the people of Kannauj is for making Modi ji the PM for the third time," he said.
Pathak, who defeated Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav in the 2019 polls, said he is confident of his victory again.
"The BJP's welfare schemes have reached all and we have worked to empower all the sections of the society without any discrimination," he said.
About his main poll rival Yadav, Pathak said the people remember hooliganism in the previous Samajwadi Party government and how in 2012 they got Dimple Yadav elected unopposed in the byelections.
This time too, unscrupulous elements of a particular community have been called from outside to create anarchy and affect the elections here by carrying out 'terrorist activities', Pathak alleged, adding he has written a letter in this regard to the district election officer on May 9.
Pathak alleged that afraid of defeat, Yadav is trying to convince the SP supporters to leave their cows and bulls in the open on the roads and in the colonies. But all this will be countered by the people themselves who know the SP's reality, he added.
"The people are going to vote for Modiji and the works done by him for their welfare. The opposition's propaganda is well understood by everyone," Pathak said.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya, who visited Kannauj to hold a meeting in support of Pathak on Friday, said, "The Yadav family keeps on humiliating me and Pathak. But on May 13, the people of Kannauj will give them its reply by casting votes in favour of the BJP." "Not only Akhilesh but also his friend Rahul Gandhi, who fled from Amethi to Rae Bareli, is going to taste defeat. This will be the people's reply to them," Maurya said.
Kannauj has five assembly segments in which Chhibramau, Tirwa and Kannauj lie in Kannauj district while Bidhuna and Rasoolabad lie in Auraya and Kanpur Dehat districts respectively.
Except for Bidhuna, where the SP won, the BJP bagged all the four seats from here in the 2022 UP assembly elections. The BJP sees this as an advantage and aims to further consolidate its vote bank.
Mentioning the abrogation of Article 370, Maurya appealed to the party workers to increase at least 370 votes on all the booths.
Yadav had made his political debut from Kannauj in the 2000 byelections after which he held the seat in 2004 and 2009.
His wife Dimple won the seat unopposed in the 2012 byelections after Akhilesh left the seat on becoming the UP chief minister. She retained the seat in 2014, but lost to BJP's Pathak in 2019.
Socialist Dr Ram Manohar Lohia won the seat for the first time in 1967, when it came into existence.
The constituency has about 19 lakh voters, including about three lakh Muslims, 2.5 lakh Brahmins and Yadavs each, and over four lakh Dalits.
The polling on this seat will be held in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 13.
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