BJP's Vivek Shakya expresses confidence of defeating SP in its Jaswantnagar citadel

Etawah (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 20 (ANI): BJP candidate from Jaswantnagar Vivek Shakya has expressed confidence of wresting the seat from former Uttar Pradesh Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, saying people will vote for BJP's development work and the party will "uproot the SP from its citadel".
Polling will be held on 59 seats in 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday in the third phase of polling and Jaswantnagar is among the most high-profile seats.
Shivpal Singh Yadav is a brother of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Vivek Shakya told ANI that Shivpal Singh Yadav has been largely stuck to his constituency due to the strong challenge from the BJP.
"Jaswantnagar in Etawah is said to be a stronghold of SP. But we have seen the strongholds crumbling before, be it Firozabad, Kannauj or Badaun. Shivpal Singh Yadav was once happened to be a state-level leader but now stuck in an Assembly constituency. He had to do door-to-door campaigning," he said.
"There are 70,000 voters from the Shakya community in Jaswantnagar. There are 120,000 Yadav voters. But it does not mean that Yadavs will vote for SP. They will vote on the basis of the BJP's development work. Plus there are other voters who will vote for BJP looking at the development and law and order situation under the Yogi government. This time BJP will uproot the SP's citadel," he added.
Mulayam Singh Yadav left Jaswantnagar seat in 1996 for brother Shivpal Singh Yadav. At that time Shivpal Singh Yadav defeated Darshan Singh Yadav, who was a staunch critic of Mulayam Singh, by nearly 11,000 votes. Since then, Shivpal Singh Yadav continued to represent the Jaswantnagar constituency.
Polling has been held for two of seven-phase elections for 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh. While the third phase of polling will be held on February 20, the polling for the remaining phases will go the polls on February 23, 27 and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)