No Cong opponent for Dimple Yadav in Kannauj bypoll

The Congress has decided not to field its candidate from Kannauj against Dimple Yadav, wife of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi party state president Akhilesh Yadav. Though the party is yet to make any announcement on this, local leaders have been communicated about the decision, it is learnt.

The byelection was necessitated because Akhilesh Yadav, who was MP from Kannauj, resigned after becoming the CM. Dimple, who is the official SP candidate from the seat, will file her nomination papers on Tuesday.

It will be Dimple's second attempt to enter the Lok Sabha. She had contested the 2009 Firozabad by-election but lost to Congress candidate Raj Babbar, who is now MP from Firozabad. While the Congress did not hesitate to field any candidate against Dimple then, senior party leaders No Cong opponent for Dimple Yadav in Kannauj bypoll said, it had fielded no candidate in Kannauj (against Akhilesh) in 2009.

However, sources in the party said the decision to not contest the bypoll had been taken keeping in mind the upcoming Presidential election, with the Congress avoiding to strain its relationship with the SP.

gA majority of our leaders were against fielding a candidate in Kannauj for various reasons. First of all, we had not contested the election in 2009 and hardly have any base there. Our performance in recent election was also not good in that region. So there is not point in contesting election, losing a face again and strain relationship with SP as well," said a senior party leader.

June 6 is the last date for filing nomination papers. With just two days left, neither the BJP, nor the BSP has announced its candidates for the seat till now. Sources said the BJP would take its final decision on Tuesday, but none of the two parties seem enthusiastic over contesting the election.

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