Akhilesh Yadav's Photo Reply To BJP's Dynasty Charge Ahead Of Key Election

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today countered the BJP's dynasty charge by sharing a photograph of all the BJP leaders whose sons and daughters are leaders in the party in a post on twitter

The attack came days ahead of the bypoll to the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, which lies vacant after the death of Samajwadi Party founder and Mr Yadav's father Mulayam Singh Yadav

The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has chosen his wife and former MP Dimple Yadav as its candidate. The BJP has picked former Samajwadi Party MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya for the big bypoll contest.

Mr Yadav's post lists veteran BJP leaders BS Yediyurappa, Rajnath Singh, Raman Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya and several others whose relatives have held prominent positions in the organisation. He wrote in the accompanying post, "Picture abhi baki hai (The picture is not over yet)"

The post by the Samajwadi Party chief is aimed at countering the BJP's dynasty charge for picking Dimple Yadav as the candidate for Mainpuri

In an exclusive interview to NDTV on the campaign trail on Monday, Mr Yadav had responded to the dynasty charge by asking why BJP leaders were not questioned about the same . "Why are such questions about dynasty not put to BJP leaders with equal force?" Mr Yadav said in the interview.

Campaigning for the BJP candidate, Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya recently said that the people have made up their mind to end dynastic politics.

At a poll rally in Mainpuri on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raked up the issue too. "The Samajwadi Party is full of dynasty. The CM is from their family. The party chief is from the family. MPs and MLAs are from their family, even block representatives are from their family," the Chief Minister had said.

In the exclusive interview to NDTV just before the Chief Minister's rally , Mr Yadav said he was confident of his party's victory. "This is Netaji's home, his area. The people of Mainpuri made Netaji what he was. I am sure each vote here will be in the name of Netaji," he said.