Akhilesh Yadav, after much dilly-dallying, has likely decided to contest the Uttar Pradesh election, sources said today. He had earlier said he would not contest the polls and would prefer to focus on every seat in the state.
Akhilesh Yadav is the Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. His seat has not been decided yet, sources say.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav's sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP today, in a blow to the Samajwadi Party just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh election.
Aparna Yadav is the wife of Akhilesh Yadav's brother and Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son Pratik Yadav.
For the BJP, it is a big acquisition in UP after many of its backward caste leaders, including three state ministers, recently crossed over to the Samajwadi Party.
The speculation about his sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joining the rival party comes just days after the Yogi Adityanath government saw a series of big exits.
Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with counting of votes scheduled for March 10.
A total of 690 Assembly constituencies will vote over the next two months, with the maximum in UP (403 seats) followed by Punjab (117), Uttarakhand (70), Manipur (60) and Goa (40).
