Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, accompanied by husband and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, on Saturday filed her nomination papers for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after a colourful and widely attended road show.
She chose the auspicious first day of the 'Navaratras', considered lucky to initiate any important work, to file her nomination from the seat she won the first time in a 2012 bypoll and then retained in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
After filing her papers, Dimple Yadav expressed confidence that her victory margin will increase as her party and the BSP are fighting the elections together.
Calling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "a failure", she said: "The BJP did not fulfil its promises and is now using the security forces to distract the people."
Earlier performing special Navratra prayers and rituals, Dimple Yadav, sporting a red 'tilak' on her forehead, took to the 'Samajwadi Rath' along with her husband and their three children for the eight-km-long road show taken out with huge pomp and show from Tiwra crossing to the Fagua Bhatta area.
Hundreds of motorcycles and cars accompanied their modified bus chariot and workers of both the Samajwadi Party and its electoral ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were out in force as Dimple Yadav, who is affectionately called 'bhabhiji' in the area, waved to the people.
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Apart from slogans in her favour, there were also slogans that the fate of the state will also change as BSP supremo Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have come together in these elections.
Actor-cum-MP Jaya Bachchan, who accompanied Dimple Yadav in her road show, was also present with Akhilesh Yadav, party General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav, and BSP General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra as she filed her nominations.
Dimple Yadav will again face the BJP's Subrat Pathak, whom she had defeated in 2014.
Leaders of both the SP and BSP appeared enthused at Saturday's show.
Rajendra Maurya, Vice President of the SP's backward cell, said: "This time there is a coalition wave. We will win 75 (of the 80) seats in the state."
BSP's Sector In-charge Ram Prakash said that party workers were getting ready from the night to join the nomination rally of Dimple Yadav, while district General Secretary Subhash Dauhre said that both parties are working hard to win elections in the crucial state, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
The SP is contesting 37 seats, the BSP 38 and Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal three. The alliance is not fielding candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli - held by Congress President Rahul Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi respectively.
--IANS
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